


Island Mission: Survive

by Cedarwings9



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Abandonment, Addiction, Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Military, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Multi, Old Friends, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Torture, Rough Sex, Slow Burn, Teasing, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:49:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 68,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23902618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cedarwings9/pseuds/Cedarwings9
Summary: A wounded, retired assassin has settled down to live our her days in relative peace after years of mindless bloodshed. However, one call changes her life of peace to call her back to arms. To protect the life she made and her adoptive family of fellow veterans, she will have to do the one thing she swore never to do; Kill for the Company.She won't be shedding blood on her own. While her past brings back a blinding haze of blood and horror, it also brings back long lost lovers. This time, they are not letting her run away from them or her own feelings. How can she pick between five men who each showed her how to live through the horror of being the most deadly assassins to walk the Earth? Who will be the one to help her finally wash the blood from her hands?
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Bokuto Koutarou/Original Female Character(s), Haiba Lev/Yaku Morisuke, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kuroo Tetsurou/Original Female Character(s), Oikawa Tooru/Original Female Character(s), Sawamura Daichi/Original Female Character(s), Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Takeda Ittetsu/Ukai Keishin, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Ushijima Wakatoshi/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1: Status:Retirement-Canceled

(Please feel free to insert Reader here but Echo will just be the reference name for plot purposes)

“Hey, Echo! Where do you want these lanterns for the festival?” Hinata yelled as he pulled the cart over to the garden. I raised my head, wiping my dripping forehead as Asahi gasped in exhaustion at my side. 

“Does that kid have some superhuman drug in his system? Where did you find him?” I laughed as Asahi pushed back his hat to reveal a growing man-bun and the start of a full beard. He only had a thin half shirt to cover his back from the brutal sun, but I could tell it wasn’t helping to keep him cool. It was like he hadn’t aged a day in the last several years I’ve known him, looking like a thirty year old even when he was a teenager.

“Just put them over there, and we can call get them after lunch,” I called back to Hinata, pointed to the far side of the workers shed. I watched as Kageyama and Hinata carried the wagonful of lanterns to where I directed them. “Asahi, grab Noya and Tanaka and tell them that we are stopping for lunch. We are all working hard and deserve some tea.” Asahi jumped up excitedly and grabbed his water bottle before emptying it over his head. 

“Tanaka might not be hard to convince, but you know Noya.” Asahi and I shared a knowing chuckle. I winked at him. 

“Then, temp him down from the treehouse with your manly charms.” I teased, jabbing him in the ribs. No matter how many times I teased the scary-looking farmhand, he always got flustered about his relationship with Noya. His face went a shade or two redder, and he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. 

“I don’t have any manly charms-”

“A-say-hi!” As if a sixth sense had summoned him, the little ball of energy burst from the trees in the direction of the forest preserve. A flash of brown and yellow hair was all the warning Asahi had before he was sent crashing into the ground by Noya. The little man hugged his boyfriend’s neck tightly, somehow making the farmer’s face even redder. I watched in amusement as Noya straddled the flustered man. “Hey, have you had enough water? Your face is all red. You look like you are about to pass out from heat exhaustion. Does that mean I can shove that temperature thing up to your ass!” I burst out laughing as Asahi screamed in a mix of horror and mortification.

“Yuu!” Was the only discernible word that left the big man's lips as Noya jumped up and turned to me excitedly. Poor Asahi was left with a ghostly dazed expression on the ground while Noya continued to be Noya.

“That's what you taught us in emergency aid, right? If someone gets too hot, you have to shove a temperature stick up their ass.” I was almost in tears trying to fight the urge to laugh at the little heartache of a moron. I reached out a shaking hand and gently placed it atop his spiky hair. 

“Nishinoya… that is only if they pass out from heatstroke, and you are trying to bring their temperature down. That is the very last resort, not the first step in heat stroke first aid…” Asahi was still twitching on the ground from the shock poor Noya had given him. I blessed these two for their relationship but occasionally worried that Asahi might not survive. The man may have looked terrifying, but he was still the gentlest soul I ever had the fortune to meet. Noya, however, was a tiny firecracker that never seemed to run out of gunpowder. Noya frowned before turning back to his boyfriend when Asahi didn’t get up very quickly.

“Oh, I knocked your leg off. I’m sorry.” Noya bent down and retrieved the prosthetic from where it had fallen off and helped Asahi reattach the limb. The mood quickly shifted to a more somber one as Asahi’s face fell, and his eyes grew distant. Noya’s smile faded, and he reached up to place his hand against Asahi’s rough beard. “It’s ok, babe. You don’t have to be there anymore. You are safe with Echo, Hinata, and all our other friends.” 

I leaned against my shovel as my hand twitched over my own battle scar. A large chunk had been taken out of my thigh, half my arm scarred with old skin grafts. Memories of missions in my past flooded back in waves that made it hard to stand on my own. I knew Asahi was suffering something similar, but he had Noya to bring him back. All I had was my shovel. 

“Oi! I heard soups on. You guy’s coming?” Tanaka's voice called us back to the little garden; The familiar tough-guy voice brought me back to reality, and I smiled. Tanaka sat atop one of the mountain bikes he had fixed up himself, his bare chest glistening in the late afternoon sun as his bright red basketball shorts fluttered in the sea breeze. He was probably doing his rounds and checking on the remote inhabitants of the island between shifts at the docks. From the look on his face, I knew he had seen the entire thing, so I waved. 

“Be there in a second! Tell Kiyoko and Yachi not to wait up for us today if they are serving.” Tanaka nodded before pedaling off to the community chow hall. I looked back to see Asahi standing bent over Noya’s stretching form and pressing their foreheads together. The two men stood there for a while, silently bonding in an understanding that felt more intimate than anything I had seen. I gripped the front of my shirt and pulled my sports bra away from my chest slightly to force cold air to shock me back to reality. It was hard not to feel jealous of their connection, but they deserve it. Noya had lost everything he loved to the job, and Asahi had barely made it out of his last mission. They earned their peace and paradise. 

“I’ll see you guys at lunch,” I mumbled, untying my bandana from around my mid-length hair and used it to wipe the last of my sweat from my forehead. They didn’t move, and I took it as a cue to just leave. I pulled my tactical bag from the far end of the garden row and began the half a mile hike to the chow hall. The island where we all lived and worked was only about sixty square miles, and only about twenty of that was actually used by us. By us, I had to remind myself that we were, in fact, people. The Company tended to make you lose sight of the fact that you were still human. At least someone had the consciousness to build us, veterans, a place where we could regain that sense of humanity. It was a place where those who passed a certain number of assassinations or complete takedowns of governments could go and live the rest of their lives in peace. More often than not, every Agent paid into the island wouldn’t live to see the fruits of their labor, but those of us who did relish every blessing. Here you either retired before you were thirty or you stuck in the action until you were KIA. I just happened to be the lucky few to choose retirement and ride the coattails of my success within the Company.

“Hey, Echo. Going to the chow hall?” I heard from behind me. I looked back to see Ennoshita trailing up behind me with his German shepherd service dog trotting along happily beside him. He dressed in the usual attire of the island, a white t-shirt with shorts and sneakers. His sunglasses hid the fact that he was blind, and the long wires that trailed down his ears into a sensor at the base of his skull signified his total deafness. I smiled. 

“Yep, care to join me?” He chuckled and nodded. “I see you got the new gear from the Company. How is it working?” The breeze blowing off the summer ocean ruffled his shirt, letting me catch a glimpse of the scars on his well-sculpted abdomen. He tapped his ear as his nose wrinkled. 

“They aren’t as bulky as the old ones, but I can’t get used to the distance signals nor the voice identification tones. Though it is nice to be able to tap into Am and FM radio.” He mused. I whistled, rubbing out a slight cramp that formed next to the scar in my thigh. 

“Lucky you. You got voices in your head.” I joked, earning a bitter laugh from him. 

“Yeah, just like the good old days of Director Ukai barking orders at us.” I groaned and changed to a more pleasant topic considering our old boss. 

“I bet he finally fucked his secretary. You know, the really timid guy? What was his name…” I snapped my fingers, seeing the man’s glasses and kind smile but not placing his name. 

“Oh, Ukai, most certainly did. His name was Ittetsu Takeda. He actually is giving one of his elite teams a vacation spot here in a few weeks. ” I clapped my hands together. 

“Right, Takeda! Man, I thought I could hold my liquor until I met him. Holy shit, that was a night I wanted to remember. Ukai had both our asses for weeks after just one night, and he never told us what we did!” I laughed. Kinoshita teased me about my drinking stories the rest of the way to the chow hall. It was a small building that looked more like a cafe than a chow hall. It fit about one hundred people comfortably and had a simple American style to the interior; the only style that didn’t trigger most of our PTSD if we heard a bang from the kitchen. I got into line behind Yamaguchi, who was huddling behind Tsukishima and muttering to himself. 

“Hey, Tsuki. How are the history books coming along?” I asked casually, careful not to raise my voice too loud. Yamaguchi still flinched and buried his face deeper into the tall blond’s back. Tsuki turned and looked back, shrugging indifferently. He wore a dinosaur printed shirt and brown khakis; the outfit never failed to make him look like a bigger nerd than his job could.

“I work with a bunch of fucking moron civilians who don’t know the difference between a work phone and a personal phone. Mostly dealing with the fact that my research team can’t get their data or historical facts straight to save their lives.” I nodded, noticing Yamaguchi’s face slowly relaxing and his eyes growing more clear. 

“Hey, Yamaguchi. How’s the robot designs coming along?” Yamaguchi looked past me for a moment before his eyes refocused, and a shy smile crept into his lips. Yamaguchi wore his usual lab coat over a thin brown shirt and pants. He never seemed bothered by the heat somehow. 

“Oh, pretty good, Echo. I just have to figure out how to make the metal sub connectors small enough to fit in the heart valve but strong enough to withstand decades of work and the changes in body chemistry.” I listened patiently as he began getting into more detail about his hobby, although I could barely understand what he was saying. Of course, Tsuki added a few simplifications as if he could understand, but for the most part, I was just left to struggle. Talking about his life-saving robots always made the retired sniper’s eyes brighten just a little. When it was our turn to be served, I waved at Yachi behind the counter. 

“Hey, sorry I missed our last session, but Lev was having one of his fits, and there was no one to cover.” The little blond woman waved her hands quickly in dismissal. 

“Oh, it’s fine, Echo. I know you are busy being one of the managers for the island, so please don’t stress yourself about it.” I smiled gratefully before leaning over the counter to whisper in her ear. 

“I think the next session will need Kiyoko. I think my medication needs to change.” She nodded in understanding and handed me my food. I thanked her and sat down with my friends. Anywhere else in the world, we all would have looked like a nightmarish bunch of misfits and been stared at, but this island offered us something we sorely needed. Here, we could be our scars openly and joke about our trauma as a way to cope without being put in a mental hospital. Everyone tried to just be an ordinary civilian once but always ended up back here. There was something that almost felt like home when you are around people who you use to put your life on the line for and also follow a kill order in the next mission. It was a strange Stockholm syndrome the Company seemed to specialize in.

“Echo, you gonna settle down with anyone of these fine gentlemen?” Tanaka asked as he joined us. The ring on his left hand glinted brightly in the sun, clashing with the rings on Yamaguchi and Tsukki’s own ornate bands. Tanaka had severe memory loss daily, and I often had to remind him that specific questions were just not asked. Thankfully Ennoshita answered him for me. 

“You know she’s never had a heart. I’m not even sure she’s straight.” Tanaka huffed and elbowed him. I smiled gratefully at him before focusing on my food. 

“Have you seen women? They are curvy things of beauty while all you men got is a sac of bouncy meat between your legs.”

“We all know you don't have much to offer, but Kiyoko still married you're dumbass.” Tsukki snipped, taking a sip of his water indifferently as Tanaka processed the insult. 

“Shut up, Four-eyes!” Tanaka barked, growling at the tall blond. I rolled my eyes and shoved another spoonful of fish and rice in my mouth. My mind flashed to a memory of when I was eating a similar meal with someone else in the back alley of North Korea. The someone watching the rain with dark catlike eyes and a slight upturned grin that always seemed to hint at another scheme. No matter what the situation was, he still looked as if he planned six moves ahead and adjusted for every outcome. It only took one mission to have those eyes and lips burned into every fiber of my being. 

“Oi, Echo? You with us?” Ennoshita’s gentle voice broke through the memory and back to the chow hall. I looked up and nodded. “Your phone is ringing. I think it’s from the Director.” I glanced at my phone and found that he was right. 

“That new implant is scary, E. I’ll be right back.” I grabbed my phone and waved a short thank you to Ennoshita as he informed me that he would take care of my dishes. I hurried to the back of the building where I wouldn’t be overheard and opened the phone. 

“This is the Director. Speak.” I waited five seconds and ended the call before redialing and saying my callsign. 

“Echo Alpha, Reporting.” There was a pause at the other end before the Director spoke.

“Good to see you are still maintaining your training. You are going to need it.” Ukai’s voice was both a comfort and a bitter pill. The man had made my life hell in the Company, but I couldn’t have done what I did without his help. He sucked at training and preparing his people for missions, but when shit hit the fan, he was everyone’s first call to make shit happen. I stood at attention with my shoulders pressed back against the wall. I knew he couldn’t see me, but I still wore that uniform on my soul and acted as such. 

“Yes, sir, but why are you contacting me?” I didn’t allow my confusion or hesitance to seep into my voice, no matter how strongly I felt about it. I was a professional after all, and I still needed to act like it. 

“ assume you have been informed that you will be receiving a batch of undercover vacation personnel to the island with the new week, correct?” 

“Yes, sir. I simply was waiting for your orders.” 

“Well, you should be happy to know that the returnees are familiar faces. The codename Wildcard should be the freshest face you will meet.” I groaned out loud before I could stop myself. 

“If Terushima is on the team vacationing here, I assume there is a mission to be completed?” That was the worst student I had ever had. All attitude, cockyness, and had no sense of discipline, but somehow his charisma and work ethic made his teammates fall in line behind him before I ever had a chance to get in control. I had him sent to the Company six months ago, and to my knowledge, he hadn’t been sent out to the field until now. 

“Yes, and our policy changed. We are pairing each new Agent with a veteran for this vacation mission. Familiar faces, if you will.” My heart dropped into the dirt as he listed off the names. “Now, the mission will be sent to each one of you separately, but I will tell you this now. I want everyone on the island to prepare for the worst. Something is brewing in the world, and I want our best Agents out of harm's way. Depending on the situation, I might be joining you. Understood?” I responded affirmatively as the names he had spoken rang in my head. 

I didn’t pay attention when Ukai ended the call. I slumped against the wall, my phone buzzing from the disconnected call as I processed the request itself. Yachi was the one who had found me, instructing me to go home and wait for Kiyoko to check on me. She insisted on coming with me, but something in my eyes must have made it clear that it wasn’t going to happen. The walk home was just as much of a blur, but I managed to hold myself together enough to make it through my front door and lock myself in my bedroom. 

The memories I had tried for months to forget came flooding back like a dam bursting after a hurricane. Smells, emotions, sounds, pain without words flashing through my mind and throwing me out of my body. Each name repeated in my head as if someone had stuck a bomb to each other's names. I snatched at the bottle of pills next to my bed and almost sobbed in disrepair. This just happened to be the night when I would be unable to block out my memories, no matter how badly I wanted to. 

“Why? Why did I… Why did you all have to come back now?” I whispered into nowhere as I cried myself to sleep in the whirlwind of forgotten memories. 

***  
There will be representation from as many characters from both the anime and manga as I can fit. Please note that this fic is not going to be all tears and heartbreak because I am not a soulless heathen who can just put these poor boys through agony consistently (Respect to those who can but not me) They suffer enough in their own universe. For every sad/angsty moment, I'm probably gonna write a happy one. Comments and suggestions are appreciated. Also, there will be a lot of flashbacks but I will try and keep it as easy to read as possible.


	2. Sawamura Daichi

“I’m Sawamura Daichi.” 

“Echo,” I replied, taking his hand as he helped me to my feet. An apologetic smile split across his face as he rubbed the back of his head. His sweat-soaked grey t-shirt clung to his skinny preteen form while his shorts looked a size or two too small. He must be going through a growth spurt while we waited on the next supply of uniforms from the training department. Around us, dozens of other junior agents sparred in the cold expanse of the north Canadian spring. The sound of instructors barking orders and instruction was the only thing that could be heard above the grunts of the sparring preteens. 

“Sorry I didn’t introduce myself before we started sparring. I guess I got too carried away after my last fight with Asahi.” I offered a fleeting as I rubbed my aching shoulder. 

“I wouldn’t call that a fight. It looked like your face scared Asahi into submitting.” A familiar voice called from behind me. I looked back and smiled at Sugawara as he walked over with his typical sweet smile plastered to his face. “If anything, she was the one who gave you a fair fight.” He gestured to me, and I shrugged. 

“I’m just not scared of Daichi’s scary face. He also kicked my ass, and you know it.” Daichi started to object, but the instructor called everyone in. I shifted when I realized that today’s training was about to end with my inevitable ass-kicking. 

“Is there anyone here who is willing to challenge the unit leader for a chance to steal the number one title?” the old man grinned evilly when everyone bowed their heads and avoided drawing attention to themselves. “Not a single one of you limp dicks… alright. Front and center, Echo!” I sighed and pushed my way through the crowd. 

“Thank God he never picks us…” I heard one of the few girls in the training command whisper to another girl. 

“Yeah, but don’t you think it's just a little sad? She can’t win against a monster like that…” the other girl whispered back. 

“Dude, do you see those bruises he gave her last time? She looks like what a punching bag would be if it were human.” Another boy whispered as the group started their buzzing chatter. They weren’t wrong. I had at least one perpetual black eye with my body more bruised than pale skin. Not that it was hard to cover the small frame in the black and blue stains.

“Why hasn’t she dropped out of the Agent’s Course? She should just be a representative or something. She’s too small to take down any meaningful targets.” I ignored the whispers and stood with my arms raised in front of the literal god of the training group. 

“I’m not gonna let you use me as your personal punching-” I wasn’t even given the dignity to finish that thought before my ass was kicked. It didn’t matter if I was small or I was a girl. No one held back at the Agent Training Course.

“You know you are doing it wrong, right?” I almost screamed when Daichi’s voice broke the silence of the night. It was nearly an hour after lights out, and if someone had caught me sneaking out, I would have been kicked out of the Agent course without a second thought. I hissed at him. 

“Daichi! You fucking scared the shit out of me! I thought you were one of the instructors.” in the moonlight, his soft smile looked even sweeter as he stepped from the shadows. He wore just a pair of white sleep shorts and a baggy brown shirt that provided his nightwear uniform. He walked up to my makeshift punching bag and punched it. 

“You see? You have to keep your wrist straight and elbow loose, or it will lock, and you will hurt yourself.” I bristled. 

“I know that.” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly. “Why are you here? I was sure I wasn’t followed.” he shrugged. 

“I saw that look in your eyes after the class leader beat you today. I know I would have given up if I had to take that abuse every day, but you seemed to wanna go another round even if you couldn’t win.” The chilly night breeze tousled his bed head into even more wavy shapes. I looked away from him, mostly in an attempt to hide my blush. Daichi was everyone's favorite, and we all respected him so much. He was string, confident, level headed, and worked hard to make sure everyone was taken care of. Most of us only half-jokingly called him dad because most of us had never had a father figure to look up to but him. All the other girls kept trying to sneak him behind a closed door to steal a kiss, but he always wiggled out of those situations with Suga and Asahi’s help. It seriously made me wonder why he was friends with a punching bag girl like me.

“I can’t keep getting my ass kicked forever. One day I will beat her and become an Agent. I don’t have a choice.” Daichi’s smile faded as a serious expression took over. Squaring his shoulders, he grabbed my hand and positioned me in front of the punching bag. I blinked as I felt his back press against mine, his hands guiding me through the motions of a punch. 

“You have your feet set right, but right here is when your form falls apart. You don’t commit to the follow-through, and you lock up.” I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck, and I couldn’t stop the blush from making my cheeks grow hot. “See? You just did it again. You need to loosen up and let your body do what it needs to do.” Coming from a fourteen-year-old guy to a thirteen-year-old girl didn’t make the situation less awkward for me. I was flustered for over an hour as he helped me fix my technique step by step. When he finally let me go, I punched the bag. I felt a rush of power as my fist connected with the bag in a way that felt so right. My eyes widened, and I looked over at Daichi. He grinned and flashed two thumbs up. 

“I did it…” I breathed. He nodded. 

“You sure did. How about tomorrow we practice this little more and work on some other things?”

“Hell yeah! You are the best, Daichi!” I gave him a loud high five before a light turned on in the instructors' building. 

“Who’s the little fucker out of bed!” We paled before sprinting back to our bed before we got caught. Needless to say, the next day’s training was particularly brutal, but I never once regretted it. Daichi and I snuck out every night to train after that despite how exhausted we were. He showed me tricks I never could have imagined and helped me study for my language tests when we were too sore to spar. He eventually brought Suga and Asahi into our little secret training group and we all excelled. By the time we were about to take our final test to become Agents of the Company, we were sparring like real agents. 

“Watch her left- oh, she got ya, Asahi!” Suga cheered from the sidelines of the training area. The instructors watched the four of us spar together as the Director stood tall beside him. I remember that day specifically because he looked like he could have been a new graduate himself with his pierced ears and youthful face. His eyes were like a hawk in search of his next victim. Asahi seemed to be the most bothered by it, his movements jerky, and his hand almost perpetually at his waist. I jumped onto his shoulders and put him in a headlock. The muscles in my arms bulge from the months of training as they constricted around Asahi’s throat. 

“Asahi, pull yourself together! You know you don’t have to take it easy on me.” He grinned before choking out a response. 

“I am trying… you have been training with Daichi for too long. I can’t-” I felt his muscles strain under my own as he legitimately tried to move me. If it hadn’t been for my heel planted into the ground and my almost unnatural strength, he would have thrown me off. Instead, he tapped out after two minutes of struggling. I released him, flipping onto my feet and holding my hand out to help him up. 

“You almost had me with that armbar. You pick up on the submission hold quickly.” I panted, grinning down at one of my best friends. Asahi gasped for air as he took my outstretched arm, letting me help him to his feet. There were only about six pairs of sparring partners left in our unit of the thirty pairs. They had either dropped out, died, or transferred to other courses. This left only two females left in the Agent course. 

“Echo, fall in!” I heard my instructor bark. “Squadron, fall in area form!” Asahi and I glanced at each other for a moment before he nodded reassuringly. 

“Got it this time.” he nudged my bare shoulder, and I smiled. He had really filled out over the last year, the peach fuzz on his chin starting to grow into a goatee. He also stood a good head taller with his broad shoulders filling out his black training shirt. He looked like a real Agent already at seventeen. I nodded, retying my long ponytail before marching over to the sparring circle. Daichi and Suga stood on either side of me as I waited at the edge of the ring. Our class leader and the instructor spoke with the Director. He was a huge American kid who was more muscle than brain. He hardly fit into any shirt he wore and stood almost one hundred and eighty centimeters. He had been taken on as a pupil by one of the instructors. Rumors of a contract already lined up when he graduated. I swallowed nervously.

“Hey, you got this. Just remember to keep breathing and watch for an opening.” Daichi said encouragingly. Suga patted the top of my head affectionately. 

“Echo’s got this, Daichi. You are gonna start worrying her if you keep hovering like this.” Daichi’s face twisted in anger as he and Suga started bickering. I smiled at both of them.

“If I win this fight, you two own me a hundred burpees.” I joked, referring to the punishment they would give me every time I lost to them when we did our private training. They stopped arguing for a moment before Daichi grinned. He gripped my shoulder with his hand and offered a firm squeeze. 

“You mean when you win.” His smile changed just a split second, and my heart jumped. The smile he used whenever I successfully pinned him when we sparred. Or the little smile he gave when he ruffled my hair before we went to bed. It was the same look that never failed to make me wonder if he saw me as more than just a sparring partner. 

“Echo! Center, now!” the instructor screamed. I quickly pulled away and ran to meet my opponent in the center. His ugly mug twisted into a grin. 

“Hey, pipsqueak. Long time no smackdown. I promise I’ll go easy on you if you give me a blowjob later… even though you aren’t that cute, you still got some ass.” He started throwing more slurs as he took taunting swipes at my head and feet. My eyes never let his feet as I dodged. Daichi’s voice echoed in my head. 

“When you face the class leader, you wanna watch his feet. He doesn’t have to focus on form as much as you do, so he puts himself off balance a lot. When he really commits to a punch, go all in and break his ankle. You can’t win head-on, but there is nothing you can’t beat if you stick to what you can do.” Everything faded away and it was like I was sparring with Daichi in the woods all over again. It was just him and me glaring at each other with our fist raised. 

“Right jab!” I dodged under and took a tentative step inside. “Grab!” I rolled between his legs and drove my shoulder into his hips. I faintly heard the class leader roar in rage, but my mind was focused on my grip of the shadow Daichi’s thigh. I screamed with all my might and lifted the man into the air. The shadow Daichi lost balance and fell hard to the ground. 

“Good job! Armbar, now!” Shadow Daichi yelled. I twisted around, pinning his arm in an armbar that I had spent almost nine months trying to master. However, Shadow Daichi was stronger than the real Daichi and I was thrown away. My ears rang from the force of the punch Shadow Daichi rained down on my body. I felt my head slammed into the ground over and over until I blacked out for a few seconds. 

When I regained consciousness, my vision was blurred almost beyond comprehension. It felt like I was underwater listening to the crowd cheer. I felt my abuser grab both my arms and place his foot against my back and push me into the dirt. I screamed, my shoulders straining to stay attached to my sockets as he slammed his foot into my spine mercilessly. Through the pain, I caught a glimpse of my friends watching. Asahi was on his knees with a look of abject horror etched into his face. Suga had tears streaming down his face as he screamed for my tormenter to stop. Daichi…

He wasn’t watching me. He had his back to me with his fists balled at his sides. He was shaking in rage at the situation. If he ran in to help me, then we would both be thrown to the wolves. I could almost see him blaming himself for talking me into going through with this match. My blood boiled past the point where I could feel pain. I wasn’t going to let Daichi feel guilt for my weakness. He had sacrificed too much and helped me come too far for that. 

“Had enough, bitch?” I felt Shadow Daichi, the class leader, remove his foot from my back and toss my arms to the side. “Tap out, or I will just beat the shit out of you until you do or die.”

“Funny…” I laughed painfully. I probably had a broken rib or two, and both my shoulders were hyperextended. “I was gonna tell you the same thing.” I lashed my foot out and kicked him in the balls. The man doubled over and I rolled shakily to my feet. Black spots of pain bloomed in my eyes, but I refused to blackout. I ran at the hunched man and wrapped my legs around his neck. When I wisted my hips I could hear the crowd cheer once more, but this time they cheered for me. I focused on clenching my legs around the man’s neck, locking my ankles together and squeezing his head almost to the point where I could feel his skull cracking between my thighs. 

“Stop! You are going to-” He choked, tapping the ground in desperation. I released his head from between my thighs and rolled to a standing position when the crowd went absolutely silent. Our class leader clutched his head crying from the likely cracks in his skull, sounding like a wailing child. I, the bottom of the food chain short girl everyone expected to fail out, was the one standing in the light of victory. Adrenaline pumped through my veins was so intense I didn’t even feel the pain in my back or shoulders when I lifted my arms into the air and let out an animalistic cry of victory. 

“Echo!” I heard Suga and Asahi scream, the two men attacking me into a hug. Asahi was balling like a baby and blubbering at how worried he had been. Suga was worrying over my injuries but he seemed overjoyed at my victory. In my heightened emotional state, I started crying as all the sleepless nights and painful days of training with them finally paid off. I was distantly aware of the majority of the crowd grumbling in discontent at the outcome of the match and walking off. The instructors even barked orders at us to break it up and for me to go to the medical bay. 

“I’ll take her.” I heard Daichi’s voice clear as crystal cut through the commotion around me. I looked up to see Daichi standing before me with a look of pure pride. His soft brown eyes looked down at me with a sparkle I never seen before as he reached out a hand and ruffled my hair. “You sure know how to give me a fucking heart attack, ya know, Echo.” 

“Hey, you were the one who told me my leg locks were going to kill someone someday.” Suga laughed and pointed up at the grey spring sky. 

“Two hundred and thirty-five kilograms is what it takes to crush a human skull.” Asahi shivered. 

“This is why I never spar with you two. Your thighs would kill me.” He shivered as Daichi and I laughed. 

“Maybe I have been training with you too much, Daichi.” I joked.

“You four seem to be close.” Director Ukai commented as he walked up. We instantly fell into line and stood at attention. The rush was starting to fade, and I was slowly beginning to feel the effects of my most recent ass-kicking. I quietly hoped the Director wasn’t going to take long. The man removed the cigarette from his lips and blew a puff of smoke into Daichi’s face. Daichi didn’t even flinch and kept his eyes straight forward. “Daichi Sawamura.”

“Sir!” Daichi said, saluting the man. Ukai looked him up and down for a moment before nodding. 

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about you. The unspoken leader of your class, a strong contender for the top marks, effective strategist, and skilled teacher. You also take it upon yourself to help the weaker members of your class regardless of the risk to your own status within the Agent Course.” Daichi stiffened as Ukai’s thinly veiled threat hit us all. 

“Sure, I can assure you-”

“I wish I had twenty more men like you, and I could retire right now.” Ukai interrupted before moving onto Asahi. The bearded seventeen-year-old swallowed loudly as he shivered under Ukai’s piercing gaze. “Asahi Azumane, the Gentle Giant. Yoru physical attributes are well beyond any of your classmates, and you have the highest marks next to Daichi. Insanely protective over your squadmates and will even go two extra miles if it made their lives even the slightest bit better. However, you are as skittish as a kitten and often do everything in your power to avoid a confrontation.”

“Y-Yes, sir?” Asahi glanced at the man scrutinizing him before swallowing loudly again. Ukai patted his shoulder, causing Asahi to jump slightly. 

“You are a rare breed. A gardener in a war at heart but can turn into a warrior in a garden. You will do amazing things for the Company. Just start working on that confidence.” Asahi almost melted into the ground in relief when Ukai removed his hand. I stiffened as he passed me but watched as he stood in front of Suga. “Kōshi Sugawara.”

“Director Ukai.” Suga greeted with a small nod as he saluted. Ukai smiled and leaned back as if admiring Suga from a different angle. 

“Good marks, skilled with languages and has a history of being good with the younger trainees. You do not stand out in any way to your peers, but your reliability and calm nature make you a pillar of stability when things go sideways in your training. Every single member of your unit trusts you without hesitation, even if they don’t like you. Your greatest weapon is your dependability and I intend to see you sharpen it with a lethal weapon for the Company.” 

“And me, sir?” I asked, causing every head to turn. I looked up, feeling blood from my broken nose drip down my lip. I reached up and popped it back into place, my vision flickering for a moment before I met the Director’s eyes again. Ukai smirked a little wider as he turned on his heel and walked back to the instructors. 

“You, Echo, are going to be a monster Agent under people’s beds someday.” He said over his shoulder. I was stunned into a painful silence as the instructors chewed our asses out over something trivial. I was left to wonder what the fuck the Director had meant by that. Eventually, Daichi ended up carrying me bridal style to the infirmary while Suga and Asahi went to grab us chow before the dining hall closed for the night. 

“What do you think the Director meant when he said I was gonna be a monster,” I asked as Daichi held a glass of water to my lips. I was bedridden for three days with microfractures in my spine and ribs, both my shoulders in casts to help keep me from hyperextending them any more than they already were. My collar bone aches as I swallowed but I didn’t mind that much. Daichi taking care of me somehow made everything a little less painful. 

“Probably talking about how you kicked a guys ass that had already beaten you to a pulp. If it were me seeing you for the first time, I’d probably be scared of you as well.” I smirked and took a sip of the offered water. The ice pack on my nose made it awkward, but Daichi somehow made it work. 

“Are you scared of me now?” I teased when I drained the cup. Daichi smirked before putting on his scary face that usually sent Asahi running. 

“Are you scared of me?” he leaned in close as if he were trying to intimidate me, but I only leaned forward calmly with an even smaller smile spreading across my lips. 

“Never, Daichi.” There was a sudden tension in the air between us as our breaths bounced off one another’s lips. My mind flashed back to all those times we had been this close while sparring, his face just barely out of reach-

Then he was kissing me. 

My eyes widened when he had closed the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine. They were surprisingly soft and gentle against my own chapped ones. My face lit up with heat when I realized what was happening. Daichi, the guy who had spent literal days helping me train and not to give up, was kissing me. The hottest, coolest, most talented guy at the training camp was kissing me. 

“Good. I never want you to be scared.” He whispered when he pulled away. I couldn’t even respond as his smile softened, and his calloused palm cradled my cheek gently. “Just promise me you won’t scare me like that again. I wanted to run in and stop it but the instructors would have shot us both. I still couldn’t watch… I thought he was going to kill you.” His face twisted in a look of agony I had never seen before. He looked like the memory alone would make him cry. I pressed my hand against his on my cheek and brought his forehead to rest against mine. 

“I’m not gonna die, Daichi. I swear to you I’ll work so hard and be the best Agent so no one can beat me up again.” I watched as Daichi’s eyes softened once more into that beautiful look he only gave to me. He brought our lips together once more, and this time I responded happily. My hands tangled in his hair as I brought him closer. He almost was lying on top of me on the bed. He kept whispering my name so sweetly I couldn’t do anything but melt under his touch. I never once imagined doing this with him, but now that I was, I couldn’t imagine it with anyone else. He was so strong and steady against me; I wanted to be wrapped in his arms forever. I wanted to kiss those lips until he sucked the very soul from my body. I felt his tongue flick across my bottom lip experimentally before I jerked away. 

“Shit, I’m sorry!” He cursed, a bright blush exploding over his face. He sat back down in the chair next to my bed, covering his face with his hands. “I pushed things too far-”

“No, it’s ok. It’s just… that was my first kiss.” I said honestly as I felt my own cheeks heat up. He slowly lowered his hands to stare at me wide-eyed. 

“I-I was your first…” I grinned and nodded sheepishly. 

“It’s not exactly like I’ve had time to shop around for guys while training to be an Agent.” I teased, sticking my tongue out at him. The blush still dusted his tan cheeks but he at least cracked a shit eating grin. 

“I suddenly feel bad for experimenting…” My mouth opened in mock horror; maybe not so mocked after I thought about it for a moment. 

“Daichi! You pig.” I laughed, slipping my arm out of my sling and hitting him with my pillow. It hurt but seeing the flustered expression on Daichi’s pain made it so worth it. 

“I’m not a pig! I just… I wanted to get it right before… You see I-”

“Uh, oh. Should we come back later?” Suga’s voice interrupted Daichi’s attempt to recover his composure. I looked at the opening of my curtain that separates me from the other beds to see Suga’s mischievous grin poking out from around the corner. Asahi was right behind him, looking somehow more flustered than Daichi. I waved them forward and gestured for them to take the extra seats. 

“No, I’m starving. Daichi also seems to need some saving.” The man in question huffed and crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. Suga, of course, could not resist teasing his best friend while Asahi sat next to me. While Suga and Daichi had their bro moments, Asahi and I gossiped about the fight. Apparently, our class leader had to be taken to another wing because he was so combative after getting his ass kicked by a girl. He also got busted for cheating on the tests and fixing someone's events to make him a part of the upper ranks. I nodded in contentment and began digging into my food. 

“I also heard a rumor that the Director wanted to speak to the four of us once you healed, Echo.” All three heads turned to Suga. The silver-haired man smiled and winked. “Apparently, you made quite an impression. I’m not surprised someone other than our Daichi has his eyes on you.”

“He’s just gonna have to wait until Echo is fully healed if he wants to chat. She doesn’t need any more stress right now.” Almost impulsively, Daichi’s hand shot out to grab my own. I startled a little before letting a slow grin spread across my lips. 

“Ok, mom. When do I get those hundred burpees from you guys?” I teased. Suga almost fell out of his chair laughing while Daichi and Asahi groaned. 

“Looks like you created a monster now, Daichi.” Suga wheezed through his laughter. Daichi and the eye looked at each other before we both grinned. 

“Can’t we have a nice meal and some rest before we pay up?” Daichi bargained. I cross my arm over my chest as much as the sling would let me and lifted my chin. 

“No, I want you to do them now. Daichi, you do them shirtless.” despite my best efforts, I couldn’t help but blush. I had gone from a virgin kisser to asking Daichi to strip in front of me? I must have some severe brain damage. Suga was now howling with laughter as Asahi began sputtering excuses. Daichi looked as if he were going to blow a fuse before he surprised me. He leaned forward with a mischievous grin until our faces were centimeters apart. 

“Make it fifty and I’ll take my shirt off.” I could see Suga wiggling his eyebrow as Asahi started to look confused. I slowly nodded. 

“Ok.” I squeaked. Daichi’s grin grew wider and he pecked my lips. My mind was utterly broken by then and all I could do was watch as my three best friends dropped a little ways from the base of my bed and began to do burpees on the infirmary floor. Daichi had taken off his shirt, giving me a full view of the rippling abs and biceps as he jumped up and dropped down to a pushup. I blamed the drooling mess I quickly became on the brain damage. 

“Fifty!” Daichi panted heavily, gripping the base of my bed with a lopsided grin. “Happy, Echo?” 

“Um… I think you missed ten or so…” I teased, pulling my blanket’s to my chin as my eyes wandered the smooth planes of his body. Suga huffed loudly before letting out a small chuckle.

“I think I’m going to call it a night. You two kids have fun now. Keep it PG.” He winked at Daichi as he grabbed our dirty plates and threw them in the trash. 

“I need to um… yeah, I’m with Suga.” Asahi shuffled awkwardly before almost bolting out the door behind Suga. I laughed at them before turning back to Daichi. He had his shirt in his hands but seemed to be in no rush to put it on. I watched in awe as this man walked around to the side of my bed. He then placed a sweet kiss on my forehead. 

“Get some sleep, Babe. I’ll come by tomorrow when I can and bring you something to do.” he sat with one leg on my bed, his arm on the other side of my hip as his free hand brushed a lock of hair from my face. I blushed even more deeply and smiled. 

“Come on, the nicknames? Weren’t you throwing me around the training court yesterday like a rag doll.” His sweet smile turned into a grin as he kissed my lips. 

“Maybe one day you will let me throw you around the bedroom.” He as so fucking smooth I wanted to punch him. He laughed when he saw my expression and kissed my forehead one more time before walking out. One of the old nurses poked her head in a few minutes later, shaking her head. 

“I wouldn’t fall too hard, honey. This line of work doesn’t make for a happy ending in the romance department.” I leaned back against my bed as a tight smile stretched across my lips. 

“Guess you could say I’m here for a good time, not a long time.” The old woman tilted her head to the side before a knowing smirk crept into her lips. 

“Oh, I have a feeling that a young man might have something to say about that little plan of yours.” I didn’t bother to respond as exhaustion took over my body and I fell asleep. 

Daichi kept his promise and visited me every day while I was in the infirmary. Now that we were almost ready to graduate, the instructors gave us all a little more freedom. Suga, Asahi, and Daichi all choose to spend their extra time with me while I healed. It might not have been the most romantic way to start a relationship with Daichi, but somehow we made it work. Our class leader had eventually been kicked out because he was more trouble than he was worth. Daichi quickly rose to the top and was nicknamed Captain Daichi. Suga became his right-hand man and eventually, the three of them formed an unstoppable unit. I healed right before the last test of graduation and was able to qualify to join my old unit for Graduation. 

We were set to fight the other classes from around the world in an old abandoned city where it was basically a three day game of capture the flag. We were giving rubber bullets and told that not everyone would make it out of the city alive. An instructor would be running interference and adding a whole new level of chaos in our training session. Only the instructor was given live ammunition. We got shot, we were dead.

“No pressure…” Asahi gagged as our unit entered our section of the city. I looked back at our unit and could tell that everyone felt the same way. However, Daichi and Suga were not having it. 

“Negativity begone!” Suga jammed his fist into Asahi’s stomach to cause the man to double over in pain. Daichi then gave a morale-boosting speech about how we had all trained for this. I just listened silently and cheered along with the rest of the soldiers. I gently pressed the hickey hidden behind my armor between my breast over my heart as I thought back to the night before. I had been all nervous and Daichi had suggested we sneak out to go to our secret training spot. What I hadn’t realized was he had planned something other than a sparring match that night.

“Echo… we could die tomorrow and I just wanted to say something.” We had been making out under one of the makeshift hovels beneath a tree with the moonlight dancing around us. I remembered how serious he had looked in that moment while I had my legs wrapped around his waist with my fists tangled in his hair. 

“Daichi, I don’t wanna hear the ‘If I die, I want you to live on without me speech.’ It's old and cheesy and you are not going to die.” I smacked the back of his head to punctuate my word. He laughed before kissing me again. 

“I’m still going to say it. I love you, Echo.” my eyes widened as he said those words. I leaned back, suddenly feeling as if I were staring down the barrel of a gun. 

“Daichi, you can’t say shit like that-” Hsi hand cupped the back of my neck and forced my lips back to his. When I finally relaxed, he pulled away with a heavy look in his eyes. 

“I don’t want to just say it. I want to show you tonight if you would let me.” He suddenly blushed as I realized something was growing in his pants. Oh…

“Um, I mean you know-”

“I haven’t either.” he blurted, his blush only growing redder. “I just… I really do feel that way. You aren’t like the other girls who just want a man on their arm for show or want a man to take care of them. You can stand on your own two feet and have an amazing personality. You are tough as nails, but you also genuinely care about people. I just thought it was some crush for over a year, but now…” his eyes turned desperate and spreading. “We don’t have to. I won’t force you into anything. 

“Daichi, don’t be an Asahi and chicken out now. I want it to and we can figure it out as we go.” I laughed before bringing his lips back down to mine. He groaned and before I realized what was happening, I was naked on a blanket in the woods under the sexiest man I had ever seen. It was a little embarrassing for both of us the first time. It hurt and we kept apologizing but Daichi never once pushed me to feel anything I didn’t want to. The first time he came, it was so quick all he could do was cuddle against my chest and apologize. 

“I promise I’ll do better next time.” he panted, kissing my forehead. “I want you to feel as amazing as you make me feel every day.” I giggled, not bothering to tell him I had enjoyed every awkward minute of our time together. 

“Next time, I’m bringing crackers and wine for your cheesy ass.” Dachi chuckled and wrapped his arms more tightly around me. 

“I might have to apologize to Suga about his blanket…” Daichi mumbled into my hair. 

“Yeah, Asahi might get mad that I took all his hair ties to make this fort.” We both laughed. It wasn’t long before we fell asleep under the stars in our own private slice of heaven. Suga and Asahi did find us before roll call the morning after, and it had been the funniest thing to see poor Asahi wail over his ruined hair tied. Suga, however, was not so forgiving of his murdered blanket...

“Open fire!” Daichi yelled, breaking me from my daydream and back into the world. Asahi and Suga both opened fire on the opposing team and just like that a flip switch and I was in the fray. Daichi had taken it upon himself to lead Suga, Asahi, and I to retrieve and eliminate the enemy's flag and team. He had the rest of the unit, keeping a solid guard rotation around our flag and implemented military tactics that I had never been able to wrap my head around. He was a flawless leader and we quickly became the first team to graduate after only twelve hours in the field.

“Congratulations, you four are now known as Echo Team Delta. You four will have your first contract in three months. Until then, the graduation apartments are yours.” The Director had summoned us after graduation after postponing the meeting from when I was recovered. The four of us couldn’t have been happier and when we left the office, we all clutched each other in a group hug and cried. Two years of training had paid off, and our friend was only going to get stronger. We eventually separated and went into our assigned rooms in the apartments just outside the Agent Course training grounds. They were studios that hadn’t been updated since the late sixties, but none of us cared. Especially Daichi and I. 

“We did it, Echo. We made it to the Elite Unit together.” He said later after we had finished our four rounds of sex. We had indeed gotten better, and now I enjoyed it as much as he did. He now knew where to touch me and when his lips and tongue making my body arch in ways I never thought possible. I loved this man. I felt tears stream down my eyes as I looked next to me at my captain as he looked back at me.

The boy who picked me up the first day of training with the biggest smile on my face. To the man who snuck my favorite pudding from the cafeteria even though he risked being thrown out. The man I snuck out to listened to him vent about the training. Who helped me grow stronger without using him as a crutch. He was more than a lover, partner, or boyfriend to me. No, Daichi and I had something I never could describe. When he turned his head and looked at me, I knew he felt the same thing. His eyes were so bright and full of that emotion I couldn’t understand that I swear someone had stolen the sun and put them in two brown orbs. He rolled over, hovering just above me and pressed his lips to mine as he eased himself into another round of lovemaking. I was melting into his warmth, his very soul. I wish I had held onto those moments a little harder. It was a choice I would later regret a year later at graduation when I turned sixteen. 

“Echo, don’t do this.” Daichi begged as he cornered me behind the graduation building on the last day of our freedom before we were sent out to our respected branch of the Company. Ukai had lied about keeping the team together and sent Asahi to America while Suga and Daichi would be running missions in the south Asain sea. I was chosen to go to Africa to uproot a growing conflict that couldn’t have interested me less. We both knew that despite whatever relationship we had built here it would not survive the months or possible years of radio silence with each other. We were constantly reminded that we were still young, and in our line of work, relationships without constant contact would not survive. Or they would get you killed. I looked away, trying to stay strong against the emotions building in my chest. 

“Daichi, you said to yourself that this wasn’t going to work out like this. Our line of work literally has us pointing guns at each other from opposite sides of the world. What if I see you over in Africa because your boss tells you to spy on me? Or I have to go to you and kill the man you are sworn to protect with your life? How can this work when we run the risk of accidentally killing each other or getting ourselves killed because we are distracted by something we can’t have?” I begged, crossing my hands over my tight-fitting uniform. It was a full-body suit that was made of special fibers that acted as effective bulletproofing when combined with the jacket and shorts I wore. Despite what Hollywood gets wrong about assassins that at least get this outfit right. 

“Echo… please. Can we just try?” He was pleading, but I could tell even he was coming to the same conclusion. My hard-fought composure broke. I reached out and brought his forehead to mine as I cradled the back of his head. He pushed me back against the wall, pinning my hips and tangling his fingers in my hair. I felt the wet tears drip from his eyes as he let his guard down slowly and let his true feelings show. He knew I would never forgive him if he said those words to me like this, but the tightness of his grip in my hair and the way he pressed into me meant more than any words could. I just hoped my kisses told him the same thing. We stayed like that, grieving the life we could have had. Morning future that we were both walking away from. 

“Just one night…” He breathed. I laughed bitterly, pressing my lips against his. 

“Come find me at the Lost Island, then we will see about that last night.” I half-joked. He pulled away slowly, a serious look forming in his eyes as a smile tugged at his lips. He cradled my cheek in his hand, holding it gently but firmly. 

“You better live long enough to make good on that promise, Echo. That’s an order.” My vision grew blurry with tears, and I only answered him with another kiss. 

***  
Daichi's sex scene will have redemption. As a writer, I don't like to go into extreme detail when writing underage sex. My thing, but I compromise with a redemption sex scene in later chapters. Also, Yes, you can go from being a noodle to being a badass bitch in two years if you have the right training and mindset. I don't know how anyone could fail at being a badass with a cheer team of Suga and Asahi with Daichi being your trainer, but hey. The other captains already have their chapters drafted, but I have a few details I need to smooth out. If you just want to get back to the Island Mission after all this, just skip the chapters with the Captain's names. Please leave comments and suggestions because I'm a new writer, and I would love to improve.


	3. Tooru Oikawa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get graphic. You have been warned. Trigger warning for murder, child death, abuse, reference to child sex trade, and other unpleasant things. Serious angst in this chapter.

“Your partner, Tōru Oikawa. Codename, Commander PlayBoy.” I stood at the meeting place where I would be joined by my first partner; of course, it would be this jackass. In the heat of the Nigerian summer, my partner had chosen to dress like some playboy his codename implied. White undershirt covered by thin blue button-down left wide open and a pair of khaki shorts. He winked at me, his fluffy brown hair flattening in the wind as he sipped on a beer. It was almost insulting that he was openly underage drinking while I wasn’t even offered one. He couldn’t have been more than a year older than I was. I mean, the legal age was eighteen here, right?

I had chosen to dress in more tasteful clothing such as a simple tank top and pants with combat boots laced up almost to my middle calf. The Beretta M9 strapped to my thigh was looking really tempting to put a bullet through his smug face. Unlike someone, I was here to work, not a vacation.

“Nice to meet ya, Shortie!” He waved, his friendly grin only widening as he got up to shake my hand. I took it and proceeded to crush it with all my strength. I felt his bones move under my hand as his eyes widened in agony. “OW!” He screamed, dropping to the ground at my feet with the military men around me jumped up as if to help him. I released his hand a second later, leaving him clutching his hand on his knees. 

“My name is Echo, and if you call me shortie again, I will put a fucking bullet between your eyes.” He pouted at my feet for a second before standing back to his looming height over me. 

“Fine then, be that way. You know you won’t kill me because I am the only person in the world that can get you through this next mission.” He grinned smugly. I wanted to drive my fist so far into his pretty face that I could see my fist coming out of his head. Before I could finish imagining the gory delight, our client had arrived, and we had to get down to business. The meeting ended about an hour later, and we were sent to prepare for the night mission.

“Wait, we are missing someone?” I asked, having reviewed a few of my notes from my assignment. Oikawa had enough of a personality I had counted him as two people, but that still left us with a body down. Oikawa lifted his sunglasses before shrugging. 

“I’m sure they will show up at some point-” a large canteen nailed the lounging playboy right between the eyes and sent him flying onto his back. I looked over my shoulder and pulled out my gun just in case. A muscular man with spiky black hair and a nasty scowl aimed directly at the still flailing playboy. His black undershirt was so tight to his chest; he may as well have not worn the garment. My eyebrow raised slightly as each muscle seemed chiseled from marble, giving me a beautiful view of the slight v that went into his tan cargo uniform. His left forearm was wrapped up from an old wound I assumed with a black eye on the right side of his face. He packed an assault rifle strapped to his back with three knives attached to various straps on his vest. He looked like a human war machine and the personality to back the observation up. 

“Get your lazy fucking ass up and help, Shittykawa! You are gonna get sunburnt and ruin the mission if you keep laying out like this.” To my surprise, Oikawa grumbled and went to his tent to change into his real uniform. The man turned to me and eyed my drawn weapon wearily. I snapped the safety on before holstering it with my hands up. 

“Force of habit,” I smirked, placing one hand on my hip and holding my other hand out to him. “Name’s Echo and I wanna thank you for nailing the playboy. Thought I was the only one who wanted to punch that stupid face.” To my surprise, the stranger grinned before laughing loudly. The laugh quickly turned to a snicker before fading into a small lopsided grin as he caught my forearm in his hand in a firm greeting. He was even more potent than he looked and my fingers barely closed around his own forearm. Did this guy spend every waking moment training?

“Glad I’m not the only one here who won’t put up with his shit either. Iwaizumi, codename Black Dagger.” He released the handshake and gestured up and down his torso as if the codename was apparent. I nodded and leaned against the truck we had been packing moments before. At least the missing body was someone who could handle themselves, unlike Oikawa was my only thought about the subject. 

“Iwa-chan! Did you steal my snacks!” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and leaned against the car I’d been packing, pulling out a bag of chips and shoving them into his mouth. 

“You were the one complaining you were getting fat.” Iwaizumi called back, sending Oikawa into a mild temper tantrum. I raised my eyebrow and received a small shrug. “Got hungry and they were out.” He held out a few chips as a peace offering. 

“I see. Who gave you the shiner?” I asked, taking the offered food and shoving it into my mouth. He shrugged again. 

“Some punk tried to jump me on the way here. His seven-person crew was easy enough.” I whistled. 

“Nice. You gonna be ready for the mission tonight?” I asked. Iwaizumi shrugged. 

“Depends on if I have to watch Trashykawa’s ass all night. He always forgets to put his safety on.” Iwaizumi grimaced and rubbed his arm. I smirked, believing him that that playboy would be dumb enough to misfire his weapon. I was honestly scared to give that man a gun.

“Agents, please meet me at my tent. I would like to discuss our mission.” Our client’s liaison beckoned us. Iwaizumi and I shoved the last of Oikawa’s snacks into our mouths before joining him and the few other mercenaries that had been hired. We all looked over a map of where we would be traveling, Iwaizumi instructing everyone on the weapons they would be given. To my surprise he wasn’t even an Agent but a private arms dealer. Any doubts I had about his skills due to his age went out of the window as he explained every detail of the weapons we would use with incredible detail.

Oikawa joined us just as the liaison started talking about tactics. He laughed about being late and not so subtly threw himself at the head of the table. He folded his hands under his chin and hid his small smirk behind them as his elbows supported him on the table. Iwaizumi grimaced but said nothing as the liaison brought Oikawa up to speed. I dozed off s=for a moment before Oikawa snapped me back. 

“I’m sorry, Shortie. Are we boring you?”All eyes turned to me as I snapped to attention. A snarky response was about to fall from my mouth until I saw his eyes. They were intense, more intense than I had ever seen before. They scanned every millimeter of my face and seemed to dare me to make a comment. I swallowed and saluted.

“No, Captain.” Oikawa blinked and turned those intense eyes to the board. Whenever he looked at someone with those eyes, they seemed just as intimidated as I had been. Even Iwaizumi seemed respectful to the new severe Oikawa. After the meeting, Oikawa remained behind, Iwaizumi insisted on keeping him company. I tried to stay, but the playboy Oikawa had returned. That lopsided grin and flirty comments were just too much for me. I chose to spend the day helping the others pack the truck, and we were off all too soon. With three vehicles being sent out at different times, we each had to break off into groups. I had hoped to be grouped with Iwaizumi, but alas, Oikawa nixed that plan. Iwaizumi would be put with the weapons we would be transporting, and the second car would be unguarded because it was only a decoy. Oikawa wanted the third truck full of personnel to be double guarded.

By the end of the day, I found myself in the truck next to Oikawa, much to my despair. From the jostling ride to the lewd jokes made at my expense, I never wanted to shoot a group of morons in my life. It was hands down the worst ride I had ever been one. What made it even worse was I hadn’t realized the sun would be such a problem until I had sunburns all over my shoulders and arms. They hurt like a bitch and I cursed my shortsightedness. I had spent most of my life in cold, wintery environments and avoided being in the sun as often as possible. Now here I was, half-naked in the blazing summer sun of Nigeria. 

We had a simple supply mission to run, so the trucks had to be armored and prepared for the long ride to the checkpoint. We would be driving through an active war zone between the Nigeran government and the local freedom fighters. It wasn’t the most exciting first mission, but it was good to get my feet wet. Ukai wasn’t the kind of man to risk an essential mission on two inexperienced Agents. However, being in the back with Oikawa humming a cheerful little tune made me reconsider Ukai’s faith in my patients. 

Due to the shape of the truck and the supplies, I had a choice to sit between the creepy Client’s legs or Oikawa's. Needless to say, I chose the latter because at least I knew he wouldn’t try to grab me inappropriately and my gun accidentally discharged. Still, being stuck to sit between his long legs took all my attention to not touch him in the jostling truck bed. The other mercenaries had all fallen asleep on their packs, seemingly accustomed to the jostling. 

“My ass was gonna be black and blue by the end of this…” I muttered under my breath, hoping Oikawa didn’t hear what I just said. The sky outside was growing dark as the sun seemed to set on fast forward. I had to admit, even though the ride was hell, I had never seen a more beautiful sky. I hugged my AK to my chest, trying to keep from switching off the safety. On one particular bump, Oikawa leaned forward and I prepared to punch him in the face.

“We are walking into an ambush.” I heard Oikawa whisper in my ear. I froze but before I could question him, he leaned forward as if to protect my body from an unseen enemy. I felt his chest press into my back as his lips whispered breathily in my ear. “I don’t care if you don’t like me, but I need you to trust me if we are getting out of this job alive. We will be ambushed by at least three guerilla fighters on the left flank in ten minutes. Exactly nine minutes and ten seconds, we need to jump out of this truck without alerting the others, or we are fucked. After that, I need you to go into the nearest tree and hide. You will be my backup when the fighters try to run up the road in search for us. If you hesitate for even a minute, we are both dead. Nod once if you understand.” I did but couldn’t stop a chill from running down my spine. I wanted to ask him why we didn’t jump out now, but the instinct to trust him kept me quiet. If Daichi had taught me anything, it was that my instincts were almost superhuman. The memory of his eyes also gave me another reason to trust him. 

He leaned back as our client’s liaison beamed at us and asked what we were talking about. I turned around just in time to see Oikawa emotionlessly stab the client’s liaison sitting next to him through his eye with one knife and jabbing the other into the client’s throat to silence his screams. I watched the man drown in his own blood and fall dead to the floor of the truck. However, my training with Daichi and the instructors helped me to quickly get over my shock and refocus on following Oikawa’s suicidal plan. Oikawa then dipped his hand into the blood and began painting his face and neck. I looked around in surprise as the brutal murder seemed to go completely unnoticed by the other mercenaries in our group. Oikawa smeared blood over as much of his chest plate as he could before looking down at me with a slight smirk. 

“What? Surprised that I’m not just a pretty face, Shortie?” I cringed at the blatant vulgarity, but any sympathy I had for the dead man instantly vanished along with all doubt of Oikawa. No playboy could cut another grown man without hesitation like he had. Oikawa may have looked like a playboy, but now I see where the commander part came into play. I nodded and, on his signal, jumped out of the truck and darted into the trees. Oikawa followed a heartbeat after and rolled as the truck picked up speed. I positioned myself on a branch high above the road engulfed in the shadows of the night when the gunshots started. The night boomed with semi-automatic rifles mowing down the side of the truck and caused it to crash. If Oikawa and I had been in there with the other mercenaries, we would probably be full of lead. How many times have I escaped death now?

Over the gunshots and screaming, my mind flashed back to the graduation test. The first hour I had seen three of my unit mates get gunned down by the instructor. If Daichi hadn’t pulled me away and calmed me down, I probably would have done something stupid like gotten shot myself. I would go on to see four more men die during the graduation test. After the fifth death, I somehow went numb to it. I tapped into the cold-hearted numbness when I started to feel the same panic and bile rising in my throat. The fear would get Oikawa killed, and the bail would get me killed not long after. The latter part I couldn’t afford. I had a promise to keep.

I didn’t have much longer to dwell on the past before I heard shouts of rage as the back of the truck’s flap was thrown open to reveal the dead client. From what I could listen to, the client had been playing both sides and now got burned. I watched as the fighter’s flashlights settled on Oikawa’s motionless body in the road. They all hurried over, and I was careful to check the surrounding woods before unleashing five quick rounds from my silenced pistol through each one of their heads. The sixth moved ever so slightly to dodge my shot and reached up to aim at my position. 

Everything happened in slow motion as I felt a warmth pass by my face and two gunshots going off. Oikawa had twisted and fired a single bullet under the man’s chin into his brain. Blood and sinew splattered all over the pretty man’s face as he lay on his back with his pistol still hovering in the air. There was a moment of silence as the fighter’s body seemed to hoover upright above Oikawa as the captain kept his arms locked, holding his pistol in case he needed to fire another shot. That same intense look in his eyes kept me frozen to the branch even after the body fell to the ground like a wet sack of potatoes. 

Just like that, the woods had resumed their usual chorus of insects and wild animals. The smell of blood and death would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention from the local predators if we didn’t clear out soon. Shakily, I slowly lowered myself to the ground as I walked over to Oikawa, going through the pocket of the dead fighters. My heart raced as it dawned on me that I had survived my first mission as a Company Agent by the skin of my teeth. Oikawa glanced up to see my dazed expression before chucking. 

“Not a bad first, huh?” He frowned and stood up, pulling out a rag and gently placing it to the side of my head. I hadn't realized the bullet had grazed it until he pressed the cloth against the bleeding gash. His touch was surprisingly gentle for a guy who seemed to hate me. “That one might need stitches, Shortie. All in all, not a bad first mission if I do say so myself.” I growled at the nickname but was too emotionally wrecked to do anything about it. 

“Yeah, we survived. How did you know the client was playing both sides?” I asked, watching as Oikawa said a prayer over the fallen soldiers in Japanese before returning to me with a sheepish grin. I wondered how the fuck this guy could go from a playboy flirt to deadly killer to some sort of shy highschooler. He was just… Oikawa.

“The Director had a feeling and wanted to test out my supposed supernatural people reading skills. Honestly, it was a bit of luck.” He rubbed the back of his head as his grin grew wider. “I have to say, I’m glad I had my first with you. You were a very willing partner to run the mission with.” My jaw dropped. He was seriously making a sex joke about completing a mission that left over a dozen men dead? What was wrong with this guy!

“You are just as fucking new and they made you the team lead!” I yelled in, not so ladylike fashion. He winked, only adding more fuel to the fire of confusion raging inside me. Just to add insult to injury, he let loose one more one-liner.

“Like I said, I’m superhuman, Shortie.” I fired my pistol at his feet and stormed off to the truck that I hoped would still take us to our rendezvous. I had so much respect for him as a team leader considering he just completed a mission and helped me get out alive but holy fuck, I could not stand him as a person. This was going to be a long assignment for me. Daichi would never hear the end of it when we met up again.

“The only thing superhuman is your deathwish if you keep calling me that name, Shittykawa.” I snapped back at him, using the nickname Iwaizumi had given him. I wondered if he was alright before Iwaizumi came strolling from the treeline with a few new bloodied knives added to his collection.

“You didn’t kill him yet?” Iwaizumi smirked, joining me as I began pulling the dead bodies from the truck. I snorted and tossed the body of the client’s laion to the ground. 

“One more fucking comment is all it will take.” Was all I responded with.

“Rude! You almost shot me!” Oikawa yelled as he scrambled off his ass to start screaming in my face. That wasn’t the last time we had such arguments after a mission. Turns out, there were plenty of jobs that only seemed to fit Oikawa’s talents for tactics and my abilities as an inconspicuous assassin. Iwaizumi joined us for two or three such missions before moving on to another region where his expertise was needed. It hurt to say goodby to another friend, but Oikawa was surprisingly gracious about my mourning. 

“Our paths will cross eventually in this line of work. Don’t look so sour, Shortie.”I huffed and downed another shot to effectively end the conversation. Iwaizumi’s name was never brought up again between us. For six months, Oikawa and I patrolled the random jobs that the Company threw at us, and eventually, something clicked. 

Six months since I saw Oikawa with that devilish smirk, I had never seen him without it unless he was concentrating on a mission. That changed, however, when we had worked a humanitarian mission over in a native village.

It was a simple evacuation of a local village to clear the civilians from the warzone that had blown out of bounds. Oikawa and I were attempting to get fifty villagers to leave with as much as they could in the dead of night. Neither Oikawa or I spoke the language fluently, and it caused a great deal of frustration. I had to remind him that they were scared and that the thought of leaving their home was unthinkable. Oikawa eventually had to change tactics and spent the day instead of trying to win the hearts of the people. He sat with the village elders while I helped the women with their chores. The people were suspicious at first, but Oikawa’s charms seemed to be too much for them. He had all the women swooning over him with every gesture of friendship, beating every man in a friendly competition offered. I was amazed at how he played with the children of the village with as much dramatic flair as he had for flirting. It was a sight that made me think just maybe… Oikawa was just misunderstood. 

That night the village agreed to evacuate, but only after we danced and celebrated the land. I didn’t understand their customs, but Oikawa insisted that we honor them the best we could. I joined the women in their dances, my limbs moving awkwardly to keep time with the beat of the drums. Oikawa watched me with a strange expression when I danced, making my cheeks burn as I stumbled next to him after my last dance. 

“Shut up.” I snapped before he could say anything. I may have been in the best shape of my life, but I was still drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Instead of teasing me, Oikawa stood us and joined in the dance. He wasn’t as awkward as I was, but that same beaming smile seemed to shine even more brightly in the firelight. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him as he flung away his shirt and lost himself in the throng of bodies as they danced like people possessed. The dust they kicked up made my eyes water but gave an ethereal haze to the dancers. The fires made everything glow a faint orange, and Oikawa seemed to demand my attention. From the way he flexed his arms to the roll of his hips made me sway with the music. Hypnotized, I found myself dancing with him and yelling with the natives as they sang. 

The dance never seemed to end as Oikawa, and I danced around one another. I may not have had a single rhythmic bone in my body, but Oikawa managed to cover that for me. His hands left ghost touches along my skin, and each time we collided, he just laughed. I found out it was almost too easy to be hypnotized by those eyes and that beaming smile. I was drunk on the music, the dancing, on Oikawa’s musty scent mixing with the night air. I never thought I could be so wild and happy than at that moment. I never wanted it to end. I never wanted Oikawa’s smile to fade. He had become my rock and leader, and now, he felt like he was something more.

I had never seen Oikawa panic when the first elder went down. The night came alive with screaming and gunfire as the local terrorist drove through the various huts with makeshift tanks fashioned from four-wheelers. Oikawa grabbed my arm as his smile vanished in the chaos. My head spun at the sobering situation, and I found myself stumbling into Oikawa’s arms as he began barking orders at the people to flee. It took less than two minutes for our escape plan to go entirely up in smoke. 

“Stop shooting!” I heard Oikawa scream in a desperate voice. His face was twisted in a look of rage and anguish as he watched one of the terrorists throw a woman into a burning hut where she then became trapped under the fiery debris. While the dance had been wild, the village had turned into a scene of hellish chaos. Huts went up in smoke as men, women, and children alike were mowed down by gunfire. A few bullets whizzed past my head as I dove to the ground and bear crawled to my gear and took cover in an unused ditch. I looked around for Oikawa but saw him try to help two children to my position.

I shouted at him to get down, but he acted like he couldn’t hear anything. Our unit, who were supposedly on watch, were getting massacred around us, screaming for orders as they fought for their lives. When I heard a dozen grenades explode next to where the unit was pinned down. I became temporarily blinded and deafened from the explosion and was left lying next to a half smoldering hut. Despite the pain and ringing in my ears, I couldn’t figure out how the terrorists were so well armed or how they had gotten the drop on us so quickly. I blinked away the blurriness from my vision when I felt my body being lifted from the ground by my shoulder straps. I was turned over, so I was facing the sky, blinking as the soot-covered image of Oikawa’s face was centimeters from my nose. I watched as his lips moved desperately, but the ringing in my ears made it impossible to hear what he said. 

“Echo, Echo, don’t die!”Were the words I was able to read from his lips. I nodded and groaned, trying to tell him that I would be ok. His eyes were wide and panicked, his hair drenched with sweat and blood that left it matted. It looked almost surreal to see Oikawa without his hair flowing like a supermodel even when we were on long missions. I caught a glimpse of one of the men in our unit standing shakily to his feet with the colors of the terrorist wrapped tightly around his arm. From the accidental detonation of the armory, Burns made it clear that he was the cause of the early raid. He was the mole that was the cause of this massacre. 

“Oikawa, your six!” I tried to scream out, grabbed the back of his head, and rolled him out of the way of the gun. The bullet hit the dirt the exact place Oikawa’s head had been seconds before. I moved us into a ditch where I landed painfully on my shoulder with a loud pop. I could hear my muffled scream along with Oikawa’s enraged cry of my name. Through the pain, I watch Oikawa leaped to his feet and tackle the traitor to the ground. The village has been razed to the ground with the remaining terrorists chasing whatever villagers had escaped into the plains and woodlands. It had been less than ten minutes to reduce the village to a stinking graveyard where life had pulsed effortlessly before. Oikawa and the traitor were left to fight to the death in the middle of a half-burned village uninterrupted. I stood to my feet to help Oikawa until I saw the look in his eyes. 

There was a look of pure murder in his eyes. He had slid on his brass knuckles he kept in one of his tactical pouches on his chest and landed blow after blow on the traitor's head and chest. Blood flew from Oikawa’s hand as he delivered blow after blow without hesitation. He swore and cursed the traitor in every language he knew before just devolving into primal screams of rage. I watched in frozen horror as the traitor dropped to the ground in a bloody heap, but Oikawa wasn’t finished. He jumped on the traitor's chest and kept pounding his face until his skull was more of a paste on the ground, and I couldn’t tell whose blood was whose on Oikawa’s hands. 

What broke me out of my horrified stupor was the thin trail of tears that washed down Oikawa’s cheeks. In the dying firelight, the pale lines down his cheeks contrasted starkly against his soot and blood stained cheeks. I then began to see that his punches were getting slower, and his screams were turning to sobs. I rushed over to his side when the sound of gunfire in the distance got closer. Oikawa was making too much noise...

“Oikawa, we have to move-” I saw stars when his fist connected with my cheek and sent me stumbling back. I kept my footing before clutching my cheek with my right hand and glared at Oikawa. The look in his eyes became unhinged as he glared at me over the man he brutally murdered. He couldn’t see me or anyone anymore. I knew the look of a man who only saw enemies, and Oikawa was consumed by that look. I blinked once before slapping him hard across the face to try to bring him back to reality. His head snapped to the side, and his expression changed to one of pure shock. I watched as his eyes cleared from the agonized haze I had seen, not seconds before crouching down and putting my forehead against his. 

“Oikawa, it’s over. We need to fall back.” I forced his head still so he couldn’t look away from my own. I felt his whole body tremble under my grip, but I kept my hands steady. He was losing it, and I was the only one who could ground him at that moment. Iwaizumi wasn’t here to temper his nature, so I had to pick up the slack. Oikawa was strong, but once something pushed him too far, he could never come back on his own. I wasn't about to lose my only friend on this continent to the madness of being an Agent for the Company. I wasn’t about to lose my Captain. We stayed like that for a while, waiting for Oikawa’s breathing to even out... He gritted his teeth, and he pressed my head between his bloody palms. 

“Echo…” He whispered, so much pain in his voice that it broke, and he collapsed into tears against my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around his shoulder, cradling his head under my hand, and I struggled to keep him upright. 

“I know, Oikawa. There was nothing you could do. Just breathe…” I ran my dirt-covered fingers through his hair while he completely fell apart in my arms. His fists clenched the fabric of my uniform while hot tears and snot soaked my shoulder. I tried not to let it bother me too much while I looked up at the turning stars. In the distance, the gunfire faded along with the screams, and I prayed that we hadn’t been the cause of an entire village massacre. If one child had survived, it would have been enough. Just one...

The fires had burned themselves out to simmering coals when Oikawa’s tears stopped, and he leaned away from me. His eyes looked utterly empty as if every drop of playful mischief had been ripped right out of them. That look almost hurt me more than my physical wounds, but I would not let it show. 

“Let’s get back to base.” I shakily got to my feet and held my arm to prevent any further injury to my shoulder. Oikawa got to his feet like a mindless robot, and we began the long five-kilometer hike to the nearest vehicle to get back to base. Oikawa never said a word the entire time, nor did he really show any emotion. The emptiness in his eyes never faded even when we got to the base. I hopped from the driver's side of the jeep and almost collapsed to the earth. One of the gate guards helped me to my feet and called for a medic. He started cussing out Oikawa before I pulled a gun and stuck it almost in the guard's mouth. 

“Shut up and leave him alone before you eat this,” I growled and effectively silenced the junior guard. The elder guard seemed to understand the situation and pointed to where Oikawa could make his call back to the Company. Oikawa nodded before his eyes finally drifted over to me. 

“Take care of yourself, Shortie.” Was all he said before he walked into the transmissions tent. I was taken to the infirmary and was forced to be bedridden by the doctors for two days. The discussion was actually only twenty minutes before Oikawa saved me and moved me back into my tent next to his. Once I was settled, he locked himself as much as he possibly could in his tent. As much as I wanted to talk about what happened, something told me that he needed to be alone. I spent most of my time healing taking inventory and finishing the official field report I doubted Oikawa was in the headspace to do. I wasn’t much better than he was, but unlike him, I had something to hide behind the horrors of the job. A lovely little red door where all the horrible images could be locked away until they decided to torment me in my dreams.

Two days later, Oikawa came out of the tent, looking as if he hadn't slept in weeks. Heading off to the makeshift field showers without so much as a towel. He stripped inside the little half cubicle and tossed his bloodied uniform outside without much care. I watched as literal layers of blood and sweat flowed down his exposed body behind the shower's half-wall. The men around made a few comments about my staring under their breath, but they were all smart enough not to say anything to my face. I ignored them as I got up from my seat and went into Oikawa’s tent. I grabbed his usual shower things and a towel before walking over to him. The water was almost drained from his shower bladder, but he didn’t seem to care. He leaned against the cubical with his arms cross, and his face cradled between them. I put a little water on the washrag before slapping his bare shoulder with it. 

He flinched before raising his head to look at me. At this angle, I had a very clear view of his naked chest. His pale skin is a patchwork of minor scars with a very defined v shape going down to his hips. I noted that he was a real brunette before Oikawa grinned. 

“Like what you see, Shortie?” His voice had the old teasing purr, but his eyes looked just as dead as they had in the field. I wondered if they would ever get that mischievous boyish glint in them that never failed to drive me up a wall. I unceremoniously tossed his shower things at him before shoving my hands into my back pockets of my shorts. I knew I should have been embarrassed to see him naked, but we had seen each other in our purest form. There was nothing left we could share now.

“Don’t call me Shorty. You're about to run out of the water, dumbass.” His grin widened slightly as he reached his hand out to touch me. 

“Aw, so rude, Shorty. Loosen up and join me. You know you want to.” I huffed but let him brush a strand of hair from my face. It felt surprisingly pleasant.

“You smell like shit.” I turned on my heel and walked away before I could do something I might regret. Keeping my distance was the best thing we could do right now. We were Agents, not friends. I needed to keep this relationship professional. I heard him chuckle under his breath but did as I suggested. I let a little smirk creep into my lips as I walked back to my seat to finish cleaning the gun we had just received. 

It took another three weeks before Oikawa was more or less back to his old self. He wasn’t as annoying as he had been, but he was cracking jokes and teasing me more often. I used to hate every second of hearing his voice, but now I couldn’t deny it had grown on me. More often than not, I would just sit and listen to him give me updates on what happened in pop culture. Who dated who, the new trends, even helped me understand American and Japanese slang. He was getting better at putting on his brave face, but he still struggled at night. 

He refused to sit around the campfires, making up lame excuses to hide in his tent every time. He also became more withdrawn and skittish when he heard a loud noise or the fire crackle. He also refused to eat meat entirely and started to eat the rationed beans and whatever greens he could buy in the local village. More than one occasion, the nightmares had been so awful he snuck into my tent, sleeping on the cot next to mine.

My nightmares weren’t any better. I kept dreaming of the massacre, waking up crying or screaming almost every night. Most nights, I woke up alone. Some nights one of the passing mercenaries or soldiers would share a late-night drink with me. One night every so often, Oikawa would hold me until I fell asleep again. Those nights were the easiest to get through because Oikawa’s cologne's scent takes me to a place far from Africa. Somewhere safe where both of us could be alone.

Iwaizumi returned to Africa not long after that. News of the massacre had seemed to spread across the Company. Oikawa seemed to feel better almost instantly, and it wasn’t long before I could start fooling myself into believing the whole thing had been a bad dream. Iwaizumi stayed with us for a month of missions before saying goodbye once more. 

“Keep an eye on Dumbass, ok? I can't do my damn job if the moron keeps slipping up or making me worry every fucking day.” Iwaizumi huffed in front of his departing ride. Oikawa huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone kill him but me,” I replied. Iwaizumi nodded before hopping into his armored truck and driving into the distance to leave Oikawa and me behind once again. I watched the arms dealer disappear into the horizon before I felt Oikawa place his arms over my head and rest his chin on his forearms. 

“Well, Shorty, I guess it's just you and me and the bar tonight…” I snorted. 

“You mean me and the bar, lightweight.” Oikawa huffed. 

“Meany.” I shrugged before following him to the bar to enjoy a quiet drink and listen to Oikawa’s forlorn tales of being abandoned by Iwaizumi all over again. Always the biggest drama king.

It took some getting used to being the center of Oikawa’s torment again, but I didn’t mind. After a year of trading off life-saving favors, Oikawa and I had become something dangerously close to something more than friends. When we weren’t getting shot at or smooth-talking our way past border patrols, Oikawa spent most of our nights talking. It was random things at first, like how missions went or what was our favorite animal. Then he started to ask personal things like my dreams and what I would do if I ever could retire as an Agent. After those nights, something just seemed to click for both of us. 

His jokes slowly became less pointed and more teasing. He grew especially protective over me when other men tried to pick me up at the bar. He didn’t tell me I couldn’t sleep around, but the poor guy I would sleep with certainly got the third degree before he was even allowed to hold my hand. He got more clingy and touchy with me, from the random hand playing with my hair to cuddling up with me on a transit mission. I wasn’t so keen to be so affectionate, but I slowly started to accept his touch. I even trusted him enough to sleep in the same sleeping bag on nights when we had to hide in the planes to avoid getting caught by local militias. 

I learned a great deal about him in that time as well. He talked about how he sent money back to his nephew to help pay for his privet school lessons. Or about how much he loved volleyball when he was a kid. I even found out how much of a secret nerd he was when we were out in a field and parts of it were trodden down by animals. Oikawa kept insisting it was aliens until I showed him the herd of zebras in the distance. I then made the mistake of asking what why he liked aliens and space so much. He would never shut up after that, especially when we were alone together. I probably knew more about the stars and conspiracy theories than most NASA geeks on the ISS. I didn't voice my complaints out loud, however. It was the few things that brought that beautiful boyish light out of his eyes. 

It was after a particularly dirty job where Oikawa had caught a small slug in the shoulder that I finally felt like tackling the growing thing between us. We had checked into a five-star hotel courtesy of the Company but were left to our own medical devices. This meant I had to treat Oikawa by myself. This also said he had to sit on the floor of the bed while I hunched over the edge of the bed to properly get an angle on his shoulder. If anyone thought a year of getting shot at made Oikawa less of a drama king, they would be sorely mistaken.

“Ow, Shortie! I know those fingers can fuck a guy up, but could you possibly tap into your feminine side to-ow!” I jabbed the needle into his wound a little harder than I needed to as I stitched it up. I may be used to his complaints, but at the moment, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with his bitching.

“Make one more comment, and I’m going to let it scar, Oikawa. Don’t tempt me.” I grumbled as I wiped a little bit of blood as it dripped from the wound. He always worried that too many grisly scars would scare away women. His vanity was often my only weapon against his pride. 

“You are always so mean, Shortie. Why don’t you lighten up a little? I’m the one who has a right to be upset. I got shot!” I rolled my eyes as I tilted his chin back to look up at me. I had grown to be a little weak, looking into those chocolatey pools. I raised my eyebrow at him as I held his chin up with a single finger. 

“Would you like to get stabbed?” He blinked, and I released his chin to allow his head to drop to its previous position. I pretended not to notice the slight bulge that had grown in Oikawa’s pants when I tilted his chin back. I mean, guys get that randomly, right? “Now shut up, you big baby, and let me finish.” There was a long silence that stretched between us as the inner city of Abuja sounded outside our hotel room window.

I wasn’t used to Oikawa actually sitting quietly, and I wondered if I somehow said something wrong. His usual cocky smile had vanished from his face when I let his chin go, replaced by his mission-ready steel gaze. He brought his knee up to his chin and rested his right arm across it as if he were in deep thought. I could feel his muscles flex under my fingers as I worked his flesh back together. Being shirtless in front of me was nothing new, but somehow being in a hotel alone made everything seem a little heavy. His scent was so much stronger here. It was suffocating, and I wasn't quite sure if it was a bad thing.

“Done,” I said, at last, wiping away the last of the blood from the wound and placing a pad over it with medical tape. “Doesn’t look like it hit anything important- Hey!” I found myself suddenly pinned to the bed, Oikawa’s face centimeters from my own with those intense brown orbs. My legs dangled off the bed with his hips pressed roughly against my own. I started to struggle until I noticed the look in his eyes. 

I had only seen that look when we were on a mission or about to start one. Those were Oikawa's eyes when he wanted to conquer and win. Now, those eyes made it clear that I was the next thing he wanted to conquer. My breath caught in my chest as my arms remained pinned to my side under his grip as his hips pressed into my own. Oikawa said nothing as the soft, panting breaths brushed against my damp lips and neck as we stared at each other. I suddenly felt exposed under him even when I wore the Company uniform. His eye seemed to strip me down without ever leaving my face. I remained a deer in the headlights under those intense brown eyes. 

“Fuck…” He groaned as his shoulder gave way and collapsed on me. He pushed himself off my body and almost seemed to run to the far side of the room. He turned his back to me and laced his fingers against the back of his head as he groaned against the wall. I stared at him in confusion. I had never seen Oikawa act so irrationally or make such a bold move towards me. Any move before had been jokingly or playfully, but this was a completely different side. He was animalistic, driven by an urge that I had no idea how to comprehend. 

I sat up, my eyes wandering down the tense, rippling muscles of his back and shoulders. Pale scars littered his otherwise perfect skin with his chocolate hair tousled in a way only Oikawa could pull off. His pants hung low on his hips to reveal a faint v over his ass. I bit my lip, my legs suddenly growing weak as I drank up the view of my Company partner. Maybe it was because I was still riding the high of a successful mission, or it was the late hour. Or perhaps it was all those nights we had spent together. Or the few good dreams where I had imagined similar situations in secret sin. Either way, all I wanted at that moment was the view in front of me. For the first time in almost nine months, my thoughts never once turned to Daichi. My eyes snapped up from their roaming to meet his. Oikawa was looking at me over his shoulder with those same eyes, head tilted back slightly with his elbows above his head. He was now a predator one second away from devouring me. He looked ready to snap, and it turned me on.

“Don’t look at me like that, Shortie. Unless you want what those eyes are begging me to do...” A shiver ran up my spine at his voice. He used a similar tone to order our fellow squadmates to action when he needed to. He used another to seduce women. But this tone… this was something I had a feeling he had never used on anyone else. I blinked slowly before I narrowed my eyes and lifted my chin to expose my throat. I was a grown woman with my own needs, and right now, he was the only one who could satisfy them. The damn playboy had finally made me weak to his charms, if only slightly. 

“I never beg, Oikawa,” I whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. Like a snake, he struck, pinning my body down into the bed with his only this time catching my lips in his. He pressed his chest into my own, using his good shoulder as support. His other arm slid across my body to lead his hand to pull the back of my neck closer to him, deepening the kiss. My eyes fluttered closed involuntarily as my fingers tangled in his hair. I ran my tongue along his bottom lip, yelping when he took the invitation and slid his tongue into my mouth. He probed and devoured my lips as if he were starving. His hips ground against my own so I could feel how hard he was getting. My nails clawed at the back of his shirt as I got lost in the heat pooling between our bodies. After an unknowable amount of time, he sat up away from me, his knees at either side of my body as he ran his hand through his hair. He closed his eyes and groaned in frustration. 

“Echo… please. I’ve wanted to do this for so fucking long, but you kept…” he arched his back as if wrestling with demons inside his own head. I watched Oikawa come undone over me, finding it a little frustrating he was choosing now of all times to be a drama queen. He immediately calmed down when he caught my scowl and allowed his smoldering chocolate orbs to meet my own.

“You showed up a year ago you looked down at me like you thought you were somehow better and it pissed me off so much.” He came back down over me, this time brushing a strand of hair off my face with such a delicate touch it could have been the wind. His eyes had softened into pools of emotions that I couldn’t understand but felt. His body now pressed into mine with a need rather than an animalistic hunger. He wasn’t just looking to fuck me to satisfy his own desires, he wanted to fuck me for another reason.

“You always followed orders and trusted me without hesitation when we were on a mission, but the second we finished, you questioned everything I did. Every other girl I talked to melted like water in my hands, but you were a force of nature that turned my world upside down. It pissed me off for so long until I realized that you were exactly what I needed. You kept me grounded when I would have lost my mind. It made it easier to trust my own judgment because you truly believe in me. I never had anyone trust me like you before, and it changed me. It made me the best version of myself I could ever hope to be.” He pressed his lips against mine as my senses started to return. This was getting too close. My heart jumped in my chest as my eyes widened in fear. “Echo, I-”

“You say those words, and I will slit your throat with my bare hands, Oikawa.” I hissed, grabbing his throat. He froze, a look of utter shock flashing across his face before a cocky little smirk played across his lips. 

“Ok, Shortie. You call the shots.” He kissed me again, this time sending my thoughts scattering into the wind. My hands fell to the hem of his shirt as I pressed my hips up into his own. I wanted him to stop, but he spoke with such raw emotions. I found myself listening to his entire confession. It infuriated me that I wanted to hear those words from him. Now that he said what I felt for him, I wanted to show him just how much I was holding back from him as well. All the sleepless nights he had been there for me. All the time, I wanted to strangle him for flirting with other women. All the times I lied to myself that I didn't want this. How silly was I?

“Oikawa, fuck me.” I breathed against his lips, tugging at the material so hard I heard a few threads snap. He growled, sitting up so I could remove his shirt before slamming his body back down on my own. The predatory look had returned to his eyes, mixing with the gentle desire to see all of me. I could feel his body aching to be free to do what he wanted, but he held himself back. 

“Are you sure you want to do this, Echo? I don’t want-” I reached above my head and slammed a pillow over his head in frustration. Why was this playboy so fucking dense?

“Oikawa, for once, would you please shut the fuck up.” I groaned before kissing the stupid look off his face. I felt him grin against my lips. 

“Anything for you, Shortie.” His tongue played with my own as his hand went under my shirt and gripped my breast. My breath hitched, months of neglect, making every touch he made so much more intense. I almost moaned out loud when he began moving his lips along my jaw and toying with my nipple. I could feel my face flush as my breathing became short pants of desire. His lips moved slowly from my jaw to behind my ear. “You are so beautiful, Shortie. Better than I dreamed. You are so soft and taste so sweet. I want to tease every inch of you…”I let out a strangled moan as my underwear grew just a little more damp. I wrapped my legs around his waist, grinding my hips up into his. He hissed in my ear as his hand clenched around my breast tightly enough that I was surely going to bruise. With a strangled cry, I squirmed under him. 

My shirt was gone a second later, his lip returning to my neck as his teeth left dark hickeys that were expertly soothed by his tongue. His head dipped lower and took one of my nipples into his mouth. His tongue rolled the nub against his lips, and I became a mewling mess under him. My fingers dug into his back, and he growled against my skin. His hips snapped against mine, causing a strangled gasp to escape my lungs. I had sparred with him before, but to feel his hips ram into my own only made me want him inside me more. 

His mouth moved lower again and pressed butterfly kisses all over my stomach. He nipped at the sensitive skin around my hip, and I whimpered his name. This caused him to look up at me with that same infuriating playful smirk. 

“Amazing… Shortie. You looked even more beautiful like this and taste even sweeter.” He hooked his fingers in the belt loops of my pants, slowly pulling them down at a pace that made me bite my lip in frustration. “You made me wait so long, Shortie. I want to savor every moment.”He whispered huskily over my navel, placing a sweet kiss there. I threw my now bare legs over his shoulders and pulled at his hair.

“Oikawa…”I groaned, my fingers clenching in his hair as my head arched back on the bed. Was I sick for loving the torture he was putting me through? Only Oikawa could do this shit to me...

“What was that about not begging, Shortie?” He teased, kissing my inner thigh just above the nerve. I had to be careful not to slam my thighs together. As much as I loved Oikawa between them, I didn’t want him to be a bloody dead mess. He hummed in delight at my shaking legs before licking slowly up my inner thigh to my slit hidden under my cotton underwear. I pressed my hips up to his mouth and hissed his name. He groaned against me and only pulled away long enough to strip the garment from me. 

“Fuck, I’ve never tasted a girl so sweet…” He moaned, undoing his pants and letting them fall to the floor as he knelt before me in his underwear. My eyes widened at the size before he was once against my legs. This time, his tongue quickly slipped past my lips and began prodding my cunt hungrily. My eyes crossed as his fingers found my clit. I mewled even louder as my hips pressed his tongue further inside me. His tongue danced inside me as he coaxed me to my orgasm, his fingers keeping perfect pace with his tongue and making my legs shake uncontrollably. 

“Oikawa!” I half screamed and moaned as he moaned against my cunt, his fingers applying perfect pressure against my clit to drive my orgasm out of me like a battering ram. I lay flailing the bed with pleasure as Oikawa practically drank my cum. My eyes saw stars for what felt like hours as he licked at my cunt gently. When my breathing slowed to a soft pant, he lifted his face and rested his chin on my hip. His fingers lightly traced my thighs as a lazy smile stretched across his lips as his eyes narrowed seductively.

“You must be from another world because that was hands down the best thing I had ever tasted.” He licked his lips, his chin dripping a little bit of me. I flushed, squirming to cover myself in an odd rush of bashfulness. 

“Yeah… that was... You are a geek!” I stuttered out, sticking my tongue out at him. He grinned before leaning forward to catch my lips in his. 

“Yes, Shortie. A geek only for you. My little Shortie that is absolutely out of this world.” He hummed, kissing my nose. I huffed, blushing a little.

“Haven’t I heard enough space and alien stories already, Tooru,” I whined. Oikawa blinked, leaning back and stared at me with his mouth wide open. “What?” I asked, scared I might have done something he would really hate me for. 

“Say that again.”He whispered, his eyes growing dark with lust. I blinked and tilted my head to the side. 

“You mean… about space-” I gasped when pulled me to the edge of the bed, Oikahis throbbing length pressing against my wet cunt through the thin underwear between us. 

“No, My name. S-say it again…” He growled, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. 

“Tooru…” I whispered. He groaned and threw off his underwear, pressing himself against me so I could feel him. I gasped and whined in want. He was going to hurt, but I was a glutton for his punishment right now.

“Fuck, I love it when you whisper that… I’m going to move slowly-”

“Condom. The front pocket of my bag.”I hissed, my senses returning just enough. 

“Oh shit, right. Sorry.” He quickly moved to my bag and dug up what we needed. “Damn, Shortie. Three boxes?” He teased, a smirk growing as he ripped one out and put it on. I huffed and looked away as I threw my arms above my head and spread my legs wider. 

“You can’t be too prepared. I never trust you to have them, and I didn’t want you catching anything.” He placed his hand over his heart in a mock look of offense.

“You know I get tested as often as I can, right? And I would never have sex without one.” I snorted and looked down at him as he walked back over.

“Right, like just now?”He smiled sheepishly before placing one finger at my entrance and slowly sliding it inside.

“You are the only girl who could make me lose my mind like that, Shortie.” I moaned as he hooked his fingers inside me, whimpering slightly as he searched for my G spot. 

“Tooru!” I yelped when he found it, clutching his shoulders and arching into him. Maybe I had too long of a dry spell…

“Hmm…” He hummed, gently pressed the spot in slow, rhythmic movements with expert efficiency. I was writhing under him now, begging shamelessly for him to move faster. All the bastard did was chuckle and press another finger inside me and move even slower. He was going to make me lose my mind, but it felt so good.

“Tooru… please fuck me with your cock…” I begged, causing his breath to catch. My eyes fluttered closed as his lips latched onto my nipple as he slipped another finger inside and began really pumping in and out of me. I was nearly screaming now, biting my bottom lip and arching into his hand. How he could move his finger like that made me want to slap myself for not doing this sooner. He was so quick but gentle, expertly teasing me closer to my second orgasm before I came again. I screamed his name and saw nothing but white as he latched his lips around my clit. I had never felt so amazing in my life save for that moment. His tongue, his fingers, his hot breath, and sweet nothings whispered into my ear threatened to drag me under into darkness. 

“Echo…” I heard Oikawa whisper in my ear. I blinked, realizing that I did, in fact, pass out in bliss. I sat up, blinking rapidly. 

“Tooru, I-” He cut me off with a sweet kiss.

“It’s fine. Shortie. Seeing that beautiful blush in that sleepy face made it worth the wait.” He held up a glass of water, combing his fingers through the knots in my hair as I drank greedily.

“When the fuck did you become so nice?” I teased, taking the other offered glass of water and downing that as well. Oikawa huffed and turned up his nose slightly in true Oikawa fashion.

“I’m always nice. You just can’t always appreciate true niceties because you are a rude, cranky Shortie.” I snorted and pushed his uninjured shoulder, so he was lying flat on his back. 

“Oh, so I’m rude now?” I huffed, straddling his hips and running my hand up and down his half-hard cock. His breath caught as he stared up at me with wide eyes. With a grin, he gripped my hips and tilted his head to the side.

“Yes, but you are my rude Shortie…” I pursed my lips together in thought before offering a coy little smile.

“I guess I am yours… or are you mine?” He frowned before I reached over to the nightstand and ripped off another condom to replace the one he had used. I shifted my hips and pressed the tip of his cock against my entrance, slowly pressing down and gasping. He groaned, pushing his head back against the pillows. 

“Fuck, Shortie… that’s so fucking good…” He moaned, fingers tightening around my hips hard enough to leave pale bruises. I moaned in pain and ecstasy, pushing the rest of him inside me and throwing my head back. His name came groaning from my lips as I adjusted. He was big, and I knew that, but having him inside me, filling me was a different story. I moaned when he hesitantly pushed his hips up into mine. In response, I slammed my hips down into his. He gasped, his eyes flying open as he watched me bounce on his cock. I leaned back and rolled my hips into his, my hands tangling in my hair as I looked at him threw my lower lashes. 

“Am I really yours, Tooru? I don’t feel like I’m yours. It feels like you are mine.” At the word mine, I reached down and dragged my nails across his chest. He let out a strangled cry of pleasure as he bucked his hips into mine hard enough for me to see stars. 

“Fuck, Echo. You s-shouldn’t say shit like that.”He groaned, now matching his rhythm with my hips. All the dominant energy I had disappeared as I became a screaming mess as I rode him. He filled every inch, and more so, all I could do was scream his name. I clutched his shoulders, desperate to hold onto anything to keep me said as he fucking the soul out of me. 

“Echo- I can’t…”He hissed, and I felt it. I desperately pressed his hand against my clit, and he obliged. We came together, me screaming his name as he groaned my own into the air. I felt his cum into the condom inside me, moaning as I rode out both our orgasms. My hips were sore by the time he had gone soft inside me, and I fell into the bed beside him. His arms wrapped around my shoulders, and he nuzzled against me. 

“You never cease to amaze me, Shortie. You were worth waiting for.” He whispered in my ears. My eyes fluttered closed, and I nuzzled into his chest. I had never orgasmed so hard many times before and was exhausted. Oikawa didn’t seem to be in any better shape because his last words were quickly followed by soft snoring. I smiled, feeling sleep slowly take me as I laid naked in the bed with Tooru Oikawa, my arch-nemesis playboy that I had fallen in love with.

I woke up to Oikawa’s kisses after a night without nightmares. I groaned, the sunlight searing into my eyes as Oikawa kissed the sensitive hickey he had left on my neck. I groaned. 

“Tooru…”

“Good morning, my sweet angelic Shortie. How do we feel?” I looked back at his grin, wanting nothing more to either slam a pillow into that smug face or kiss it. I chose the latter. 

“Like I got a good night's sleep.” He hummed against my shoulder and looked up at me, innocently as his hand massaged my hips.

“That's good to hear. You sore?” He hummed. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the slight spoiling I would get. Who knew how long it would last.

“Maybe for some food…”I could almost feel his grin.

“I already ordered room service. But you should know what’s on the menu before you choose.” I opened my eyes and turned around to face him. 

“What are you talking about…”My eyes widened as that grin stretched across his face. “Tooru, don’t you fucking dare-” My leg was in the air before I could even finish my objection.

“I don’t know what you are going to have, but I have my breakfast right here…” He gripped my ass tightly in my fingers before burying his face in my crotch again, and any thoughts of objecting the flirty son of a bitch were thrown out the window. All-day. For a week. 

And fuck, I loved every second of that cocky, sexy, geeky flirt of a man. I never wanted to leave, but the Director had called us back with a few choice words. Oikawa blamed me, of course, but I made sure he paid for it. Soon it was like nothing had changed, but everything had. I was dating my Captain, and we both made sure everyone knew it.

“Oi, Shortie!” The next major completed mission was two months after the hotel. The area was getting more unstable, but now the big militaries were getting involved. We had just assassinated a sex trafficker and child molester who had holed up inside the ranks of the top leadership of a rebel group, and I could honestly go to bed that night without a single regret. I was buying a few snacks from one of the American marine supply stands when Oikawa ran up to me and slapped my ass. 

“You son of a bitch, I’ll kill you!” I yelled at the top of my lungs before slashing at him with my knife. I’m pretty sure if it had been any other eighteen-year-old girl swinging at Oikawa, he might have had a reason to worry. However, Oikawa; in his infinite smugness, had nothing to worry about because he knew I wouldn’t hurt him. He caught my wrist and placed a kiss on the soft flesh on the inside, grinning down at me. The way he went from pervert to sweet lover like a light switch both turned me on and made me want to kill him.

“Good morning to you as well. I just got a letter from the Company and Iwaizumi about our new job. Figured this time, you might wanna be here when I read the horror stories of our dear friend Iwa-chan.” He pulled me into a chair under a makeshift awning, ignoring the jealous looks and snide comments from the soldiers around us. He pulled me into his lap, resting his face in the crook of my neck to nurse the hickey he had given me the night before. I smacked his head mostly out of habit before opening the letter. I felt his arms wrap around my waist tightly as he whispered sweet nothings into my ear. I still got flustered when he did, but I was able to focus just enough to read Iwaizumi’s letter.

“He just closed a major deal in Arabia and is looking to swing a few jobs near us. According to him, he thinks I could use a vacation from Trashykawa and is making an effort to save myself.” I grinned, using Iwaizumi’s nickname for Oikawa as payback for the sweet nothings. Oikawa puffed out his cheeks in frustration and nuzzled my neck where I could feel his grin growing. 

“Iwa-chan is gonna eat his words when he sees you with me. Right, Shortie?” He looked up at me with his big shining eyes. I pretend to inspect the letter a little more and tap my finger against my lips.

“I hear Tahiti is great this time of year…” Oikawa pushed me off his lap and crossed his arms over his chest in a very childish pout. 

“You’re so mean, Echo-Kun!” He knew I hated him for using Japanese honorifics to my name. Mostly because I hated the Japanese because it was my least fluent language. My eye twitched as I threw his bag of chips at him. 

“Stop whining. You know I wouldn’t leave.” He brightened and pulled me into a huge. He buried his face between the space in my boobs and hummed in contentment. 

“Good, because it would make me really sad if you did.”

“Oi, Oikawa! The recon team just got back!” One of our fellow mercenaries called over to us. Oikawa placed a quick peck on my lips before putting his work face on.

“I’ll meet you back in the tent later for our successful special mission celebration,” I smirked and pecked his cheek. 

“Getting you out of bed is always a successful mission, then?” He winked before running off the convoy that just returned. I grabbed the letter from the company and moved back to the industrial tent Oikawa, and I shared it. Once safely inside, I opened the message from the Company.

“Joint forces of Oikawa and Echo have been disbanded.” I read out loud after my brain processed the words. A moment later, a woman in a Company suit opened the tent flap as if those words alone had summoned her.

“Agent Echo. If you would, please follow me. We are currently on a time-sensitive mission to retrieve you, and I did not want to interrupt the goodbye.” The woman looked as if she had stepped out of a bad spy movie in her glasses and suit in the middle of an active war zone. I stared at her. 

“That wasn’t a goodbye-”

“Echo, this mission is from Director Ukai himself and cannot be disobeyed. You need to come with me right now.” Her words came out as harsh bark, and I immediately sprang to my feet. Just like that, I have ripped away from another man I had fallen in love with because the Company had one more job. One more target. One more kill. I quickly wrote a letter explaining as much as I could on the one the Company had sent. 

“What's the job?” I said flatly, grabbing my issued Company bag and following the woman to the plane that would take me hopefully far away from this feeling I was starting to realize was heartbreak. 

“I’m sorry I can’t tell you here. I also need you to give me all your fake identities and cut yourself off from all connections you have out here. For this mission, we need you as a full ghost.” I did as she asked, any hope I had of seeing Oikawa disappearing into the wind. He would hate me, thinking I abandoned him the first chance I got to get away from him, and I would have no opportunity to tell him otherwise. 

“For the sake of the Company,” I muttered bitterly as I watched the ground slowly disappear from under me. 

***  
Ok, this was a little longer than I intended but I made it. I wanted to get him out of the way because he is so difficult for me to write. I know I put him through hell and it was slightly graphic but I did warn people. Also, its kinda fun to put his character through hell and watch Iwaizumi patch the poor guy up. The other captains will make their appearances soon because there is only fine tuning with each of them. I hope I satisfied a few people with the sex scenes but in my opinion Oikawa isn't much of a sex kinda guy (More of a flirt and tease). More sexy times to come in upcoming chapters as we get to my personal favorite captains. Thank you so much for the comments and suggestions. They inspire me so much to write this. Thank you.   
Updates to come more rapidly now.


	4. Ushijima Wakatoshi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Make the plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails... throw away the plan." -How the author insists on writing.

“Oi, oi, oi! We got ourselves a lady joining our merry little crew, laddies! Hide the porn!” A man with blood-red hair and eyes shouted over the side of a ship where my soon to be fellow squadmates stood. I stood on the pier, ready to board the Eagle, a strange sense of unease washing over me. The ship was an upgraded version of a cargo ship; only it was turned into an undercover destroyer and party cruiseliner. The pride and joy of Captain Tanji Washijō, or the Demon Captain. He was one of the few old Agents left that refused to retire. Instead, the Demon Captain lived in relative safety on his floating fortress that was protected by the UN. One of the greatest assets of the Company.

I simply was along for the ride running various missions, escorting highly valued and influential clients around the world. Ukia made it sound as if not showing quickly enough meant the end of the world when, in reality, it only meant he would get an earful from an old sailor. I never thought I could hate him more than I already had, but I was so wrong.

“Why did you make me a ghost for this bullshit assignment?” I had asked the Director when I first got to the docks. There was a long pause before he gave me the most bullshit answer. 

“Because the team you are working with would try to kill you if they found out you and Oikawa had worked more closely than Agent's should.” I didn't even try to deny it. Oikawa wasn't subtle with his public profile despite being a wanted Agent. I interrogated The Director on why I was a part of a team that had such a high probability of killing me. He refused to answer, and instead, he kept repeating the phrase ‘you are the only one I trust for this kind of mission’ and other bullshit like it. 

I sighed to dispel the growing bitterness in the back of my throat before realizing that order had been given to lift the ramp for emergency departure. My eyes widened in panic as I bolted down the dock before the crew could close my only chance of boarding the ship. My white button-down fluttered around my shoulders, and I briefly wondered if wearing a bright blue crop top might not have been the best choice is attire at this moment. I realized I couldn't make the jump carrying my suitcase full of the few personal items I had kept from Africa. So I dropped it and threw away my jostling sunglasses. I pulled the straps to my backpack tighter around my shoulders as I hurled my duffle bag strap across my shoulders.

"Better hurry, Shorty! Doors about to close!" The redhead called down to me as he snickered. The others leaned against the railing with varying expressions of concern or disinterest. I already didn't like any of them, but especially the redhead. The door was almost a meter away from the dock and about the same height above me. I skidded to a stop as my heels squeak, and I almost fell into the marina. The redhead waved while the others moved to go below deck. I gritted my teeth in frustration before grabbing a bit of rope from the pier and tying my duffle bag straps. 

"If I miss this, Ukia, I'm going to shoot your ass and throw your body into a meat grinder," I muttered to my self before I began to spin the duffle around. I briefly prayed my aim was real and chucked the duffle at the ship. The redhead jumped back with a loud yelp as the duffle slipped through the guardrails and twisted perfectly to lock itself like a grappling hook between the railing. I jumped off as far as I could before landing in the water. I quickly began getting dragged behind, and I felt the propellers swirling uncomfortably close to my feet before I broke the surface. I climbed up the side of the ship before flopping on the deck like a fish out of water. I collapsed on my back as my arms shook from the effort to drag my heavy bag up without risking unlocking the duffle from between the poles. I close my eyes, realizing I probably should have died in that stunt. Maybe Oikawa's luck was finally rubbing off on me. 

"Wow, that was kinda cool. You looked like some sort of badass climbing onto the ship like that. I thought you were a goner." I opened my eyes and saw the redhead leaning over me with his head tilted to the side. I gritted my teeth in frustration and rolled to my feet. I unhooked my duffle bag and checked to make sure my guns and knives were still intact. My submachinegun seemed to take the brunt of the damage, but I hardly ever used it, so I was not worried.

"Not the chatty type?" The redhead asked before I glared at him over my shoulder. He snorted and stuck his tongue out at me and pressing his hand over his chest. "Fine, I'll mind my own manners. I'm Tendo Satari, that's Semi Etia, Ohira, Doc Shirabu, and Goshiki." He gestured to each one of the squad members in turn. Semi seemed chill enough when he gave me a small salute with his wrist wearing a faded grey t-shirt and shorts. Ohira bowed slightly but made no further move to welcome me wearing a hoodie and shorts. Shirabu was dressed in a lab coat with a blue shirt and shorts just like the other. Goshiki looked like a kid dressing up to play the role of a spy in a bad German action movie. He couldn't have been older than fourteen, and I wondered if he was even a part of the squad. I began wringing out my hair when I nodded back to them.

"Echo. Good to meet all of you. Loving the warm welcome." I retorted sarcastically. The redhead, Tendo, laughed and waved my harsh tone away. 

"Nah, we needed to test you. Big, Bad, Smoker Boss Guy said he found us a new squad member like a week ago and didn't give us much to go by. But man, if I knew you were such a pretty girl, I would have begged the Captain to let us greet you properly." He grinned and placed his hand on my shoulder. I stiffened before giving in to the temptation to get my payback a little early.

I twisted his hand until I could pin it behind his back on the ground, pressing his shoulder with my knee to keep him from getting out of the hold. It happened in less than a second and left the squad jolting in surprise.

“Don't fucking touch me,” I growled, lifting his arm a little high to prove my point and earned a loud wail for my efforts. Releasing him, Tendo rolled onto his back and started writhing on the ground as if I had broken every bone in his body. I barely even squeezed his wrist or pinned him, there was no way he was an Agent and this much of a baby. I stripped off the dripping linen button-down before wringing out on the deck. I hoped there was somewhere to safely airdry this because I was going to have trouble keeping up a clean wardrobe with my suitcase abandoned on the pier. The other squadmates watched as Tedno writhed on the ground with varying expression of annoyance. 

“Wa-ta-shi! I am in pain! Oh, so much agony! I’m fading from this cruel world. Save me!” He clutched one hand to his throat while the other stuck straight up in the sky in the most dramatic pose I had ever seen. I thought Oikawa was a drama king, but this guy was on a whole new level. Tendo froze like that while a bulky man stepped forward from the squad to stand over his squadmate's body. How did I not seen such a beast of a man not even two meters from me? I immediately tightened my grip on my bag and crouched slightly. He looked like someone I would not want to mess with while I was here. His stern frown and intense olive hazel eyes look down upon the flailing redhead with a slightly annoyed look. How long had he been watching? Where had he come from? 

“Why are you allowing yourself to be caught off guard, Tendo? She's an Agent, even if she is a female.” His deep baritone voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Tendo twitched for another moment before playing dead. The large man, Wakatoshi I assumed, leaned over and picked up Tendo as if he were nothing more than a sack of flour. My eyes instantly locked onto the bulging muscle in his bicep and tried not to imagine what that kind of muscle could do to me if I were to find myself caught and crushed. Tendo played dead for a few more seconds before Wakatoshi shook him once. Tendo’s tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as he dramatically went limp again. This did not seem to surprise the other squad members nor the giant. “Tendo, stop playing around. You are setting a poor example to our newest member.”

“Aw, I’m just playing, Ushiwaka. Messing with the new guy is a right of passage, after all. They gotta be tough to be in this squad.” Tendo perked up, patting the massive fist that held the front of his shirt. The giant grunted before dropping Tendo to his feet and turning back to me. He wore a black t-shirt that hugged his muscles so tightly that it may as well have been a compression shirt tucked into his pants. He had two handguns strapped to his torso with black leather straps with a black belt riding high on his hips. I could see how toned his thighs were through his jeans, and I wondered if there was someone in this world who was more in shape than Iwaizumi. He was probably the one who was going to be the personal bodyguard for the client. I hoped. 

“Ushijima Wakatoshi. You are late. I recommend you do not make a habit of this.” My eyebrow twitched. Oh, he was one of those guys. His expression did not change as he looked at me up and down; as if assessing how much he should dismiss me to my face. I dropped my drenched bags onto the deck and shifted my weight, so I was leaning slightly with my hand on my hip. A bad habit I had learned from Oikawa.

“Yeah, like it was my fault Ukia's plane was late getting here. I'll make sure not to risk my life to make your deadline, oh mighty Agent.” This made his expression darken, and I briefly wondered if this was how I would die. 

“You shouldn't talk so casually to me, Agent Echo Alpha. There is no place on this squadron or this ship for people to be mouthing off like fools. Especially one with obvious limitations in her chosen career path.” The fucking nerve of this motherfucker! I took a step forward to cross the distance between us. The other squad members stiffened, and each reached for the weapons attached to their hips. I placed my foot on his hip when I got close enough and tried to keep my balance on the rocking ship. He looked at me with a slight frown of confusion before I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pushed with my foot. I climbed him like a tree I intended to cut down to proper size. He stumbled slightly but quickly braced himself with his fists balled at his side. I put my feet on either side of his pelvis to support myself properly and grabbed his shirt fistfuls, bringing our faces closer together. 

"Oh boy, this looks like it could get messy," Tendo muttered, a wicked grin slashing across his lips. I ignored him and kept my eyes on Ushijima.

“My name is just Echo, first of all. Second, you think I would be a part of this squad if I couldn’t handle myself? I’m the second fucking female to make it through the Agent’s course, so maybe you could treat me with the tiniest grain of respect your cock driven brain can give. ” I glared into his emotionless olive orbs with my own, a slight breeze blowing around us and ruffling our hair. The crewmates watched the exchange in silence, even Tendo. Ushijima and I stared each other down for what felt like forever but was really only five minutes. My arms started to shake, and I felt his legs begin to as well with the extra weight on his hips and the odd angle I put him under. I wasn’t willing to concede whatever pissing contest we had gotten ourselves into, but he seemed even less interested in losing.

His shoulder flexed as he moved to raise his fist. I wisted my wrist in response to pop out the tiny blade in my watch before pressing it against his throat. Rage flashed behind his eyes as he wrapped his fingers around my throat but stopped choking me when I pressed the blade into his neck to draw a drop of blood. We were at a total stalemate, and neither one of us was willing to submit. He pissed me off more than anyone had ever come close to before. Judging from the squad's reaction and the intensity of his burning glare, the feeling was mutual. So much for the added protection of me 'dying' to Oikawa. 

“If you two kids don’t stop fucking around, I’m gonna shoot both ya asses!” The Ship’s Captain’s angry voice shot out through the speakers. This broke Ushijima’s concentration, and he blinked. Satisfied, I pushed hard off his hip and flipped for good measure as I broke free from his grip. The landing might not have been entirely graceful, but I got my point across. Ushijima glared at me again, but this time it felt like he was actually trying to size me up with a newfound curiosity. Tendo took this opportunity to jump between us to avoid further confrontation. 

“Well, you heard the Captain! Stop fighting with the Squad Captain, Firecracker.” I blinked in confusion before looking over at the man I had just stared down. There was a dark patch of dried blood already stained against the soft skin of his neck, but he otherwise looked unaffected by the confrontation.

“Squad Captain?” Tendo tilted his head to the side in confusion before bursting out laughing. 

“Bwah haha! Seriously? You were about to fight the guy, and you didn’t think he was the captain? Did you really think we didn't have a captain? ” Tendo spun to stand behind Ushijima, showing him off as a sports car. “This right here is true high-grade purebred Agent Captain material. The muscle-bound miracle boy has never failed a mission and is currently the most popular choice for taking over the Company when the Director bites it.” I winced at the comment. I definitely wasn’t winning in the mission success category. Tendo continued as Ushijima just stood there with a completely deadpan expression on his face. 

“The man has killed terrorists with his bare hands. Killed two American SEALs on his last mission. But that’s not the point.” He was suddenly in front of my face, his hands under either side of his chin as his two very long pointer fingers wiggled at me creepily. “You, Miss Echo, were about to join the crew without knowing the Captain. Worse yet, you were about to fight him!” he reached behind him and pulled out the dagger that I kept strapped to my back between two fingers. How the fuck did he get that?

“Hey!” I yelled, snatching the knife back. Tendo shrugged and let me take it without any resistance. 

“I just took some precautions, sweetheart. I had a feeling you were going to put this through either my face or our lovely captain. Couldn’t have that, now!” He wagged his finger from side to side. I sneered and slashed at him without really meaning to hurt him. He jumped back with a loud laugh as if this was just a game to him. “Oh, this is gonna be fun! All the fun, under the sun! With the captain and his new squad, we are gonna go for a ride on this cool hot rod!” Tendo began to sing and dance around the deck, causing the rest of the squad to groan and retreat into the lower decks of the ship. I watched the redhead sing and dance loudly without care and wondered just how many screws were loose in his head. Despite my inner turmoil, I couldn’t help but smile. Crazy ones always made the best Agents and were easy to manipulate. I couldn't deny that his antics were also slightly amusing themselves. My smile quickly faded when I noticed Ushijima’s eyes boring into my face as if he were trying to interrogate me for the secrets of the universe with just a look. I scowled and turned to find my living quarters and maybe a dryer. 

“Wait.” The command was so forceful and unquestionable that I damn near sat down like a dog. I stiffened as my back went ramrod straight, and I squared my shoulders. With only Tendo as a witness, this would be the perfect opportunity to kill me. Or punish me for insubordination. 

“Captain, Sir!” I shouted, my old training habit slamming back into me all at once. 

"Oh, so now you have manners." Tendo huffed, crossing his spidery arms over his chest. 

"Enough, Tendo," Ushijima ordered, the redhead shrugging before leaning against the railing as the sun began to set behind him. The giant stepped forward and passed me a folded envelope without a word. I took it, opening it to reveal a map of the ship as well as the weapon system and various other information I would need to navigate the mission.

“First night in port, we are free. Second, we pick up the client. We then make a two-week cruise across the sea to Japan. We will be given three days of liberty before embarking once again to Canada. You will stay aboard at my discretion following our successful return to Canada.” I nodded, relaxing slightly as he pointed out the travel map and the contract details. He was surprisingly calm for a guy who just had a subordinate disrespect him and tried to kill him. The other shoe would drop soon enough, but I was going to take what I could get. I thanked him before quickly, leaving to find my sleeping room. With some sick joke, it happened to be the one next to the boiler room. It wasn’t even a proper room to sleep in. It was littered with old boxes and was barely big enough to fit me if I laid down. I sighed and dropped my bag to the floor. 

“Be grateful I even let you on this fucking ship, girl.” A cranky snarl sounded from behind me. I yelped, turning on my heel to come face to face with the captain of the ship. He was old, with ghoulish sunken eyes and what looked like a permanent scowl etched into his lips. He made a small noise of disapproval before lifting his nose in di. “Female crew members only bring bad luck, and you don’t have the best track record in the Agency anyway.” 

“I thought this was the twenty-first century but my bad. Let me just throw away years of training and find where I give a fuck about your opinion.” I snapped back, crossing my hands behind my head and leaned against the doorframe of the broom closet of a room. “Face it, no one wants me here, and I don’t particularly want to be fucking here. So how about we all play nice, and the second we reach port, I’m gone? Think you can pull that stick out of your ass long enough to do that, Grandpa?” The captain sputtered and started raging about how I should respect my elders. Funny, considering he just saw me try to kill my squad captain. Even a moron would realize that I was no longer going to give a shit about who was in charge of what. I honestly stopped caring when I took an ice bath in the sea and almost became minced meat.

I ignored the Demon Captain when he started going off on a rant about how women can’t make good agents because they were too small, women, or whatever else the old man had stuck in his head. He hassled me throughout the process of cleaning out my locker of a sleeping space before one of my squadmates saved me from the tyrade. 

“Captain? The client is on the line in the bridge.” The captain scowled before snorting at me. 

“Keep your nose clean, ya hear me? I don’t care if you are one of the agents for the Company I’ll throw you overboard for the sharks.” I gave him a sarcastic smile and sent him off with a middle finger salute. My squadmate, Semi I think his name was, frowned at me as the old man worked his way up the stairs. 

“You should be more respectful when talking to the Captain. He might be a little rough around the edges, but he’s still an Agent.” I pulled an old hammock from within the pile of junk in my room with a loud snort. 

“You talking about the old man or Ushijima?” I glanced back to see Semi begin to fume. 

“What's your problem? Are you really that fucking bitchy over us leaving on time as ordered? Because you seemed to get up no problem and then picked a fight with the first two guys who even spoke to you. You got something to prove or something?” I turned on my heel and glared at him. Was it pick on Echo day or something?

“I don’t see you get your ass chewed up for being a guy and an Agent. You seem to have missed the wonderful opportunity to take a dip in the ocean while propellers tried to make you shark bait. ” Semi paused before fuming even hotter. 

“You're a hateful bitch.” He snapped as his hands clenched into fists. His fingers twitch as if they wanted to go to the gun at his side, but something stopped him. I openly placed my hand on my weapon and shifted my feet to lean on the gunship to prove my point.

“You aren’t helping, so get lost.” I snapped. He did so, muttering a string of curses about how stupid it was to bring a girl on board. I stood there for a while with the hammock clenched in my fists. I swayed with the waves as they rocked the ship. The sounds of the engines were drowned out by the blood rushing through my ears. I slammed the door to my room and curled into a tiny ball at the farthest corner of the room. 

I was a bitch. 

A bitch who abandoned two men I loved dearly and failed to protect an entire village from being slaughtered. I was a bitch who hated myself and my job, but I had no one to blame but myself. Shut-in on a ship with no one around to hear my angry sobbing, I let everything spill out. For a little while, my nightmares took over my mind as I had a panic attack that never seemed to end. 

“Hey, new girl!” I pulled a vape from my lips and blew the heavy mist from my lungs as a weight lifted from my shoulders. I sat perched on a hard to get to area in the aft part of the ship just below the main deck; it was a kind of gunner platform for pirates. I looked over my shoulder to see Tendo hanging precariously off the edge of the upper deck upside down with his arms dangling above his head. 

“I found you!” He sang as if he just won a game of hiding and seek. I could only see him under the light of my flashlight I had brought with me in the early hours of the morning. He looked like a creep from a nightmare, but at least I could shoot him if I needed to. 

“Wasn’t hiding but good job,” I mumbled sarcastically before shifting over. I hadn't gotten much sleep, considering I was used to Oikawa's arms wrapped around me. I doubted I would be able to shake Tendo off, so I accepted his company. Sure enough, the redhead dropped precariously off the side of the ship and caught my platform's lip with his long fingers. He then popped his head over the rim and crawled his way next to me. He sat with his legs dangling off the lip of the platform, swinging absentmindedly. 

“I guessed you weren’t going to be in your room, so I found the next best spot. Sure enough, I was right!” He grinned and pointed a pair of finger guns at me. “You’ve been making a lot of friends I hear. Semi was more than riled up when I talked to him yesterday and almost threw me overboard. I almost couldn't believe it when he said that you pissed him off more than I could. Can you believe it!” He placed his hands on either side of his face in mock shock. I let out a small chuckle and took another hit of the vape before taking a shot of liquor straight from the bottle. Cheap, but it would do the job. The laugh quickly died as a feeling of numbness spread throughout my limbs and mind. A comfortable numbness.

“What do you want, Tendo.” I sighed, offering the bottle to him. I rolled my eyes when he frowned at my offer. “You don't have to fucking drink it.” 

“Hey, now. I didn't say I didn't want some. You just don't seem like the kind of person who's vice would be drinking. Sex? Maybe.” I wasn’t about to admit he was right. Instead, I shook the bottle and he took it. He did a long pull and handed the bottle back. 

“Ushijima would be pissed if he caught me drinking.” Tendo laughed, his cheek already getting flushed. Man, I thought Oikawa was a lightweight. “And at this early hour? Maybe Semi had a point when he said you were bad news.” 

I pulled my knee to my chin, my eyes gazing out at the setting moon among the countless stars. Tendo reached over and turned off the flashlight to bathe us in the sea’s darkness. It was kinda beautiful looking at the ocean with the full moon and the purple and blues of the Milky Way. A long silence stretched between us as the sky slowly started to grow brighter around us. 

“You are something else, Echo.” Tendo chuckled suddenly, looking surprisingly dangerous despite his sleepy expression. his lanky arms were folded behind his head as he stretched his back with a knowing smirk.

"That so?" I mumbled, closing my eyes as images of fire flashed in my mind. Gunfire mixing with the distant sounds of the ship waking up. At least the alcohol numbed the terror associated with the memories. 

“You are a tough nut to crack, and you even gave Ushijima a moment to pause. That stoic dreamboat never shows much emotion with anything, yet you were able to goad him into a fight and almost win. I’ve never seen that man act like that to anyone else.” I snorted. 

“Like I care.” Tendo frowned and flicked my forehead. The liquor in my system made it easy to ignore the sting.

“You should. Wakatoshi's a big softy when you get to know him, but that doesn't mean he's someone you want to mess with. Semi isn’t that bad either, and everyone else is super nice if you give us a chance. This mission could get complicated if we all don't work together.” He reasoned. I turned my head, so my cheek rested on my bent knee with my arms wrapped around it. My loose hair fell slightly in my eyes, and I stared at him through the locks. 

“I’ll be gone in less than a month. I don’t want to have any strings attached to this mission.” Tendo groaned loudly and threw himself back against the plate. 

“Oh, you're that bitch! What kind of miserable existence would you allow yourself to be subject to?” I opened my mouth to answer his annoyingly rhetorical questions, but he opened his eyes and stared intensely into my own. “This life isn’t fun unless you have a few friends on your side. Even allies can be useful when you get in a tight spot. You tend to live longer in this job if you have someone to watch your back.” 

“Those are famous last words for me.” I sighed before letting another long cloud of smoke be whipped out into the sea. I could watch my own back. My heart was the thing that needed protection. “But, I can at least try to make an apology to Semi. Maybe.”

“There is the ticket! See, the only thing to do now is actually getting that pretty face to smile.” Tendo shouted excitedly, making me choke on my drink and snort half of it through my nose. He pounded my back as I tried to remember how to breathe as he laughed. “Let’s all get along and have some fun! Dancing the night away-oh!” He jumped up and spun around just as the ship hit a particularly rough wave. He yelped as the platform below him turned into the open ocean. I dove forward, catching his hand and almost being dragged off myself. Those bruises were going to hurt later. Tendo gasped and clutched my hand. 

“I’ll never let you go, Rose!” He cried dramatically. I blinked at him. 

“Of all the fucking lines you could have possibly picked, you picked that one?” Tendo tilted his head to the side as he hung in mid-air. 

“Beam me up, Scotty?” This idiot almost made me drop him when I started laughing. Once he was safe on the platform, I gave him a genuine smile. He might be crazy, but he wasn't a bad guy. This only seemed to encourage him more because he spent the next hour shooting famous movie lines and having me try to repeat them back. Oikawa had taught me well enough in the ways of most Japanese and American pop culture, but he had nothing on Tendo. 

We walked to the galley together as he filled me in on his obsession with Shōnen Jump. He could keep up with Oikawa with the spicy comebacks and sassy retorts, but thankfully I could hold my own after dealing with Oikawa for a year. I was dangerously close to considering him my friend during this mission. I stopped at ally. 

“Tendo, you missed Captain’s roll call.” Semi snapped, causing the other squadmates to look up from their meal. Tendo wrapped his arm around my shoulder casually and waved his free hand in the air dramatically as we walked up to the squad's table. 

“I was busy searching for our lost little lamb-”

“I was hiding from you. I should have tried harder.” I quipped. Tendo gasped loudly and threw both his hands in the air while I earned a hesitant laugh from a few squadmates. Ushijima’s expression did not change from the stony disposition I had met him with. 

“How could you abandon me?” Tendo wailed dramatically as I took my own tray from the crew member serving that day. 

“Because you are loud and overdramatic. The punchable face doesn't help either.” I deadpanned. Tendo then went on a vicious speech about how my opinion of him was wrong, and I was, in fact, blind. I moved to sit at the end of the table before Tendo grabbed my wrist and sat me squarely between him and Ushijima. There was a sudden tension in the room as our shoulders touched. I felt us both stiff at the same time as we both looked squarely at our food. Thankfully he seemed to be just as interested in keeping whatever happened yesterday as a non-issue. Fine by me because I would rather not try to fight him tipsy. Hell, sober me would probably last about two minutes before I was wrecked. 

The sounds of the ship's crew dining around our elite squad were the only thing that kept the tension from being downright embarrassing. Tendo helped after a short while by teasing Semi, who threatened to throw the redhead overboard. After the two seemed to fall into a familiar argument, the group quickly leveled out, and I started to relax through the meal. After the night alone in the boiler room, I dared to think that I was going to get through the mission. 

I learned a lot about the little group with our first day arriving in a southern port in Argentina. When I discovered when I was learning watch schedule and rounds with Semi and Ōhira, I realized that they were the worker bees among the squad. Ushijima seemed to trust them a great deal and tended to just give single sentence orders, and they just went with it. 

Shirabu offered to make me his assistant for a few hours because of my field medicine experiences. That lasted about an hour, ending when I messed with his fucking insane organizational system. He kicked me out and threatened to never help me if I got sick. I was then tossed to Goshiki doing menial trainee tasks like scrubbing the deck or cleaning the guns. The poor kid had no idea how to clean the firearms by himself, and I ended up cleaning all seventy-two guns in three hours. Ushijima did not seem pleased at how I was blasting through every task he gave me and called for sparring practice.

“Aw, didn’t the little Echo get enough of a workout yesterday?" Tendo asked, folding his hands behind his back and twisting his body so he looked at Ushijima upside down. The Captain crossed his arms over his chest and just stared down at the redhead. 

"She climbed onto the ship and attempted to pick a fight with me. I fail to see how that is a fitting workout for an Agent." That monotone was going to drive me up a wall. I gritted my teeth and wrapped my wrists to prepare for the sparring we were about to endure. Thankfully I had enough water to avoid the hangover, but I still dreaded the ass-kicking I was about to receive. My main goal was to not lose to anyone other than Ushijima, and even then, I wanted it to be a draw. 

"Just do the damn training, Tendo. If I have to deal with this, so do you." Shirabu grumbled as he pulled a book from his lab coat. Tendo complained loudly as we were paired up to spar. I shrugged off my windbreaker and pants, so I was standing in my compression clothes that exposed the knives and gun I had strapped to my body. 

"Oh! Echo's getting serious today. Look! I'm shaking." I rolled my eyes and slashed at his face. He leaned back to dodge, giving me a funny look before snickering and patting my head. "Save it for the match, little one." My next slash, I did try to kill him, but the fucker dodged. Ushijima stared at me for a moment before calling Tendo and Semi to spar first. 

"Why is it always you…" Semi groaned loudly as the rest of us stepped back and gave them room. Tendo bounced on his toes and began doing a little dance as he spun a knife around his finger. A slight lint sparked in Tendo's eyes as the two men started circling each other.

"Oh, come on, Semi. It's not like it's every time~" The redhead gasped in mock surprise as Semi slashed at his face. Tendo dodged it effortlessly as he darted inside Semi's defense. The grey-haired Agent grimaced as Tendo elbowed him in his jaw and sent him reeling back. Semi recovered quickly before returning the favor, but Tendo sidestepped his slash. The redhead spun on his heel and nailed Semi's exposed side. It was only open for a heartbeat, but it was as if Tendo knew Semi would expose that particular weakness at that moment. He had serious talent and good instincts for sparring if that wasn't a fluke.

I sat upon a crate strapped to the deck, one knee supporting my arm as I rested my chin in the crook of my elbow. My eyes locked on the two sparrings in front of me so hard I might have looked insane myself. Another bad habit I got from Oikawa. 

"Keep your elbows in, Semi," Ushijima thundered as Semi narrowly missed a block from Tendo. The grey-haired man adjusted and slashed again. Tendo dodged and dove forward, but Semi spun out of the way just in time and managed to trip Tendo and send him crashing to the ground.

"Tendo, you keep overcommitting on your slashes. Ground yourself, or you will be easy to knock over every time." 

"Oh, but Semi makes it so hard to resist using one hundred and twenty percent of my efforts." He did adjust, and his next slash was slightly more successful. There were another ten minutes of near-constant clashing before Ushijima called for a switch.

Ohira and Shirabu were next. Their match was a little more sophisticated and clean. Ushijima rarely commented on their fight, instead quietly observing the quick pins and parries the pair shared. Ohira was insanely smooth with his slash attacks and leaned towards a grounded defense style rather than an attack posture. Shirabu was a more quickfire attack strategist, receiving the most corrections from Ushijima. He would instantly get frustrated whenever he was pinned or forced to tap, but he regained his composure quickly and grew more intense. 

"Enough," Ushijima shouted again after a half-hour of sparring, and the two partners separated and bowed to one another. I got up to spar but was nearly knocked over when Ushijima pressed me back down. I was about to snap at him before Tendo wrapped his arm around my shoulder. He was still sweaty as hell but at least he didn't smell like a trash heap.

"Let the master train the grasshopper. Don't despair, you're getting your chance to dance with me soon." I huffed and curled into myself once again. Ushijima shrugged off his own coat, tossing it where I had thrown my clothes. Goshiki was practically shaking when he held up his knife. 

"Is the kid really an Agent?" I asked Tendo, watching at Ushijima's aura began to engulf the smaller kids form. Goshiki yelped and slammed his eyes shut as he stabbed blindly at the giant. Ushijima caught his wrist effortlessly and tossed him out of the way without moving an inch. 

"Keep your eyes open. You cannot be afraid when you facing an opponent. Again." He rumbled, turning around to face the shaking kid. Tears started to well up in his eyes as Goshiki lunged at Ushijima again. 

"Yes, sir!" The boy shouted as he enthusiastically tried, again and again, to win against his captain. It was like watching a kitten try and pounce on its mother, with the reality being slightly less adorable to watch. Tendo offered me some of his water as he answered my question.

"Yes, a recent change the Director is trying. Instead of wasting money on lots and lots of training regiments and all that he is pairing the most promising recruits to seasoned veterans. You are looking at the new age Miracle Boy's training his protege." I winced as Ushijima tossed the trainee into the air and slammed Goshiki on his back. The youth gasped and curled into a ball as the wind was knocked out of his lungs. I knew that feeling. Maybe I'd stop by his quarters to offer advice on how to soften blows like that.

"Looks like Ushijima has his hands full. with training the kid." Tendo snickered before using my head as an armrest. Cheeky bastard.

"Yep! He sure has big senpai shoes to fill!" Ushijima patted the kids back, helping him to his feet with a surprisingly gentle nature. He waited patiently for Goshiki to calm down before nudging the kid to the side. 

"Go sit down. Echo, trade places with Goshiki." Tendo poked my side as I jumped up from the crate. 

"Go get him, tiger.” He teased, ducking a flying kick I aimed at his head. I stood in front of Ushijima, the height difference between us almost comical. I put my hand on my hip and raised my eyebrow in challenge. He waited, a long pause stretching between us, knowing the first person to strike will lose. I took the first move by sidestepping to see what he would do. He mirrors my actions, his eyes never leaving my face but I could tell he was watching every inch of my body. It was hard not to shrink back from the intimidating glare, but he had Daichi’s scowl to compete against. Compared to him, Ushijima didn’t stand a chance of scaring me. 

“You have excellent technique.” He complimented, throwing me off ever so slightly. This gave him the opening he needed. He darted forward faster than a man his size and bulk should have moved and grabbed my wrist. He twisted it, forcing me to drop to my knee and drop the knife. I hissed in pain, my wrist painfully bent behind my head while his other hand grabbed the back of my neck to press it down in submission. 

“Fuck!” I hissed, mostly out of frustration than pain. This hold I hated the most because it was such a complete and total submission hold. I would risk separating my shoulder if I moved or if I kicked out, he could quickly slam my face into the deck. I heard Tendo whistle from the sidelines. 

“Wonderful! Top form, Ushiwaka!” I wasn’t sure who I would kill first, Tendo, or Ushijima. I felt Ushijima’s hand tighten around my neck ever so slightly while his eyes burned a hole into the back of my head. 

“Let this be a lesson for you should you consider challenging my orders in the future.” I huffed bitterly as a strand of hair fell in my eyes. 

“I’ll take notes after class, sensei.” He released me and stepped back. 

“You would be wise to not write down your weaknesses. However, if they are a means for you to improve yourself, I recommend keeping it in a small journal that you have on you at all times.” I stood up and stared at him. He wasn’t sarcastic at all. He took my comment as an original idea and was impressed by it. I tried to bite back a laugh but couldn’t keep a smirk from my lips. “Is something funny?” 

“Yep.” I beamed, darting past his defense before he could ready himself. His eyes widened a fraction before I had him in a similar hold. “You let your guard down.” 

“Indeed.” He flexed his arm, effortlessly throwing me onto my back and sitting on my hips with my own knife to my throat. He leaned uncomfortably close, his nose centimeters from mine as his bulky form hovered over my own. “You shouldn’t try to copy your opponent's moves. You might not have the strength nor the skill to end with the same result.” I gritted my teeth and grabbed his shirt collar. I bucked my hips and pulled with all my strength, flipping him over my head, so he was now on his back. I twisted and sat on his haunches, snatching the knife from his hand and pressing it to his throat. 

“What was that about strength?” I grinned, winking at him. Oikawa’s tendencies really should not be this well ingrained in me. Ushijima just looked up at me through his eyelashes as he laid on the ground under me. Despite the short sparring match, both of us were breathing heavily. There was another long pause before a blush crept into my cheeks. Now that I had a moment to think about it, I was feeling something at my butt, and it wasn’t the deck. I scrambled off, trying to keep my eyes from darting down to see what I thought would be there. My eyes betrayed me, and I glanced down. He wasn’t even fucking hard! How could I feel it through his jeans? Was it just his belt? I couldn’t be attracted to him, let alone be needy enough to think his belt was a hardon…

“Again.” Ushijima interrupted my inner panic, snapping me back to the present. I blinked in confusion before he tilted his head slightly. “We both seem to be an even match, and we have things we can improve on. Let’s fight again.” This time he dropped his hips and squared his shoulders. Oh shit, he was now taking this seriously. I could have sworn I heard Tendo comment over the rush of blood in my ears. 

“Uh oh, someone got a fire started under Wakatoshi’s ass…” Fuck

___

“One more.” I gasped on one knee beside Ushijima. The sun was almost entirely set, leaving the sky to be painted a blood-red with the distant city lights glowing in the dusky haze. The ship’s captain hadn’t turned on the Deck lights yet, and I had a feeling it was because he wanted us off for dinner. The last call dinner bell rang out as soon as I finished my sentence. Ushijima groaned and sat up slowly, throwing a bulky arm over his raised knee as he looked at me. We had been training non-stop since breakfast and looked as tired as I felt. His hair was a dripping mess of locks with his shirt long gone. His pants had ridden love over his hips enough to expose a faint v leading down to his crotch. My eyes wandered over the planes of his abs as they flexed in maximum effort to push air in and out of his massive lungs. 

“Next time.” He groaned, rolling his shoulder where I had landed a nasty hit on earlier. I fell back against the deck with my arms above my head, not so secretly relieved he had declined my challenge. I was willing to swallow my pride and let him win if he had said yes. 

“You two love birds done already? I was expecting to see the bra go flying, at least.” Tendo chirped up happily. I turned my head and flicked him off. 

“There is no need to remove any more clothing,” Ushijima replied, somehow keeping a straight face. Was he just dumb or dense as a fucking rock? Daichi would have been a blushing mess while Oikawa would have processed to flirt with me. I shook my head and jumped up, trying to not bring those two into any further thoughts. 

“Ushijima! I managed to steal some extra rations from the galley. Here!” Bless the overexcited trainee Ushijima had been blessed with. I then realized that with the galley being closed, I would go hungry tonight. My stomach growled loudly in objection, and I immediately pressed my hand against me to quiet it. It wouldn’t be the first time I starved for a few meals. A piece of bread and soup was lowered in front of my nose, causing me to blink and jerk back in surprise. Ushijima was holding the soup centimeters from my nose, looking down at me with that damn neutral expression.

“Eat. You need to keep up your strength if you are going to be an Agent on this squad.” He pressed the soup closer to my face when I hesitate to take the offered food. I took it, carefully balancing it on my hand as I got to my feet. Ushijima made the tiniest nods of approval before turning and walking away. The others joined him, and I was left alone in stunned silence on the deck. These guys had hazed me by almost letting me drown off the side of the ship, throwing in a broom closet to sleep, and then beating the shit out of me were the same ones laughing at me over dinner and feeding me. I was starting to wonder why I had to ghost Oikawa. 

“Oi! You coming?” Tendo poked his head sideways out the porthole door, frowning in confusion. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” I hurried forward and let my doubts stew in the back of my mind. 

The next morning I felt like I had been hit by a bus. Luckily I knew the name of the bus was Wakatoshi Ushijima, and oh boy, I planned to make him pay. We were delayed another day due to the client not wanting to go out in the random storm that had swept over the coast. We were all locked in the hull of the ship that day, much to my dismay. This gave the Demon Captain plenty of chances to cross my path on my morning rounds and exercise routines I was trying to build. This guy had a real chip on his shoulder, but I ignored him until Semi and Ohira chased the Captain away. We then found a stateroom to have a few drinks in, joined around three by Shirabu. 

I got to know each of them really well during that afternoon, and they actually seemed like they were starting to like me too. Tendo joined in time for dinner, somehow convincing some of the crew members to bring us dinner from the galley. Before we could start eating, Goshiki found us and fumed at us for abandoning Ushijima. Tendo teased him by saying Goshiki was the one who felt left out and not Ushijima. 

“I seriously doubt Ushijima could give a flying fuck about anything, let alone where we eat.” I shrugged, biting into my rice and chicken. 

“Do you believe that to be true?” My voice behind me asked. I choked on my food and fell out of my chair in shock as Ushijima's presence appeared behind me. Tendo burst out laughing at my struggling form while the others sat in different levels of uncomfortable silence.

“What the fuck! Are you Casper or something?” I choked out, standing up and glaring at my squad captain. He frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. 

“My name is Wakatoshi. I do not know this Casper person. ” He sat down across the table where I had been sitting, still looking confused. Tendo was now almost howling in laughter while the others laughed lightly with him. I returned to my seat and huffed. 

“Not the brightest bulb in the drawer, are you?” I grumbled before taking a bite of stew. This only deepened the scowl Ushijima wore, and he focused on his food with hunched shoulders. 

“Insulting your superiors is hardly a way to strengthen team morale and unity, Echo.” This guy was giving me a headache, but I let the matter drop. Tendo, once again, saved me from making the dinner scene any more awkward than it needed to be. Again. He began talking loudly about Ushijima borrowing his magazine, which quickly devolved into a five-sided argument over the said magazine. Still sore as a motherfucker, I slipped out from the ruckus and slinked back to my hammock. 

The next day the Squad was lined up along the side of the ship as we greeted our client. It turns out there were a dozen or so extra members to his travel company full of college partiers.

"Look at all those legs..." Tendo whistled as the guest passed us in varying of intoxication. I rolled my eyes and glared at one of the Client's wingman started flirting with me. His pickup lines were smooth if I was some drunk slut who wanted to sleep with him. Instead, I could not make it any less clear that I did not wish anything to do with him. Despite my squadmates giving him stern glares, the moron grabbed my upper arm. 

"Just come with me for a bit, and I can show you a good time. Might get that pole out of your ass." I didn't have to do anything. Tendo gently rested his blade against the asshole's wrist and pressed slightly. 

"I think the little lady made it clear. Back off, or this could get very messy." His voice was light, but the dangerous tone drifting from his lips made the asshole hand easy to remove. He scrambled away before Tendo grinned and looked at Ushijima. The Squad leader simply nodded as if agreeing to some sort of previous agreement, and Tendo almost purred. "Oh this is going to be an entertaining mission."'

It wasn’t long before the Demon Captain had the crew and most of the Squad setting up the top deck for the massive rave the billionaire client wanted to throw for his thirtieth birthday. Apparently, he was also a government official’s son who also was going to Japan to meet his wife for their arranged marriage. Semi informed me of this fact even though I could not give less of a fuck about who or why we were transporting this mass of hormones and drugs. 

“Lighten up, Echo! You have the honor of seeing a bachelor party at it’s finest!” Tendo encouraged us as we hauled up the speakers from the storage room. I wrinkled my nose. 

“Rich people being fucking dumb and loud. I’d rather be back in Africa getting shot at.” Tendo’s eyes narrowed, and he stopped in the narrow passageway. “What?” 

“Interesting…” His aura changed to an eerie quiet as he looked at me. My heart pounded in my chest as the fear of getting caught for something suddenly became overwhelming. “Ushijima had a former rival in Africa not too long ago.” With a shrug, Tendo continued as if we had just discussed dinner. My blood turned to ice.

Rival? Oikawa and Ushijima?

That word in the Company meant that two agents were set to kill on sight if they were to ever meet. This kill order went more profound than the professional competition because it often meant something had happened between the two to make it personal. My heart dropped into the floor as I realized there might be a grain of truth in my exaggerated protection precautions. 

That night I was set on lookout duty. I was up on the bridge with Goshiki steering that night while most of the crew and Squad partied with the Client. Lights and loud dance music shook the windows of the bridge, leaving me to rely only on sonar to detect any pirates who were feeling bold tonight. That and I was well aware of how sensitive I was to such scenes. I did not need to have a panic attack or PTSD attack in the middle of that rave. The Client might not get out alive if I did. 

“I wanna be down there with Wakatoshi. I bet he is getting all the girls he wants and being so cool.” Goshiki whined, slouching on the steering wheel. I shrugged. 

“Trust me, you ain’t missing much.” Flashes of bright colors suddenly sent me back to the village, and I froze. I gripped the chair I sat in tightly as imagers and emotions washed over me like an uncontrolled title wave. I could no longer hear Goshiki talking over the painful screams tearing through my brain in the memories. I knew it wasn’t real, but I couldn’t stop the images. I just sat there, reliving the horrors of blood, gore, and failure as they washed over me. 

“Oikawa…” I whispered to myself over and over again. At first, I only saw him as the grieving wailing mess he had devolved into that night. Then he slowly started looking better until he was laughing and chasing away the nightmarish scenes taking over my mind. I slumped in my chair, realizing Goshiki was snapping his fingers under my nose. 

“Echo? You ok?” I blinked and shook myself before pushing him away. 

“Yeah, just got stuck in an old mission.” 

“With Tooru Oikawa, right?” The boy's expression darkened, and he sneered. “You worked with that traitor?” I blinked and shook my head. 

“No, I’ve never met him. There are a ton of Oikawa’s in the world, I’m sure. You probably don’t know him. Who said I was working with him?” Even to my ears, I couldn’t be more obvious about my lies. Still, he was so new that he didn’t question it. After we fell into an awkward silence, I dared as the question that had been eating away at me. “Why is this Tooru Oikawa a traitor?” Goshiki spat on the floor and glared down at the party. 

“Because he could have joined Ushijima’s squad right when they graduated from training camp together. Ushijima stuck his neck out to get him this kind of mission, and Oikawa spat his face. Turned right on that deck and walked away like he was some perfect god that didn’t care that Ushijima had put in so much work for his friend.” My eyes widened. The playboy attitude made sense for Oikawa but to literally spit in the face of someone who allowed you to party every day? It made sense why Ushijima wanted to kill Oikawa. Though it didn’t make sense why Oikawa had refused it in the first place. 

“Why did he refuse to join the squad?”

“Because Ushijima was the favorite of the training squadrons. He always beat Oikawa no matter how hard he tried. Ushijima tried to help, but Oikawa always refused because his pride would not let his better help.” Tendo said, leaning against the door frame of the bridge. My heart lept into my throat as he strolled casually forward and placed his hand on my shoulder. What might have looked like an innocent gesture to Goshiki was actually far more sinister. I probably would have felt safer if Tendo was holding a gun to my head with a twitchy trigger finger.

“Ohira is going to take over for Echo. Why don’t you get some sleep before your watch tomorrow, eh, Little Tsu.” Goshiki hissed at the nickname and stormed off, leaving me alone with Tendo. 

“We aren't supposed to be relieved for another ten minutes,” I said shakily. This Agent was scaring me more than a firing squad could ever hope to bring out of me. The last thing I wanted was to be alone with this terrifyingly, unpredictable killing machine. He was a sort of monster with the sinister grin he was looking down at me with. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I think it’s time we had a nice long chat.” He patted my shoulder and sat on the tiny ledge on the bridge between the computers. He crossed one leg over the other, folding his hands ever so neatly over his raised knee with his sinister-looking smile. With the red and blue lights flashing against his face from the rave below, he somehow looked even more terrifying. A vestige of death and fear. “You seem awfully interested in Ushijima’s relationship with Oikawa.” 

“Goshiki was the one to drop that name.” I defended, but Tendo did not seem to care for my interruption. He leaned forward, putting his chin on his fist as he rested his elbow on the screen. 

“Yet you didn’t act like you had never heard of Oikawa. The way you were calling that name could have fooled someone into thinking you knew him personally.” I didn’t respond to his innuendo, so he continued. “I can’t prove anything, of course. You seem to have just popped out of nowhere with no details to your history or failure rate and yet… you are on a squad only the most elite ever hope to get on. That tells me the Director has made you his Ghost, something Wakatoshi has been trying to do for years.”

“Big guy like that is hard to hide. What does it matter if I am or not?” I blurt out stupidly. Tendo chuckled. 

“Yeah, he’s hard to miss, I’ll give you that. That still doesn’t change the rumors I hear about you. The mysterious Echo, who seems to have a great deal of history in Africa. Where I heard Oikawa had his first and only failure of a mission."' He waved his hand lazily through the air before letting his fingers brush across my cheeks like the breath of a butterfly. His eyes narrowed deliberately as his lips curled in a sadistic smirk. "An entire village wiped off the map even when he had all the time and space to save them-”

“Stop it. What do you want?” I hissed, gripping the chair arms again in an attempt to keep the memories at bay. Tendo sighed and leaned back with a dreary look in his eyes. 

“I like you, I really do, Echo. You took to this squad like a fish to the water after your first outburst. You seem really nice and funny. Heck, you even give Wakatoshi a good workout, and I thought that guy could never meet his match. So I’ll give you some free advice.” He leaned closer, so I was staring directly into his gleaming red eyes. “Pick a new mantra for getting out of the flashbacks. Oikawa is just as likely to get you killed more than anything else you say. Might I suggest… Tendo? Perhaps fuck this life and the bullshit in it?”

Ï can’t believe you would fucking joke about this shit.” I hissed, jumping up. He leaned back and cocked his head to the side. 

“That’s what I tell myself when I'm having one of those attacks.” My brow furrowed, and Tendo smirked. “What? You think you were the only one who is just a little messed up?”

“Yeah, I get it. Forget about Oikawa or risk the wrath of the great Wakatoshi Ushijima.” I grumbled sarcastically. Tendo nodded. 

“Trust me, there is plenty of fish in the sea. Just gotta keep your eye out for them.” Ohira walked into the bridge with his eyebrow raised. 

“Where have you been for the past hour, Tendo? I was looking for you everywhere.” Tendo jumped up and wrapped his arm around my shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze while his other hand pinched my cheek playfully. 

“Just having a chat with my bestie, Echo. Sorry, I didn’t know you were looking for the Amazing Satori Tendo.” He jerked his two thumbs to his face, his arm hooking around my neck to press my cheek into his. I shoved him away as I mumbled goodnight to Ohira. I made my way down to my little broom closet was a haze as Tendo’s words echoed in my ears.

On the one hand, if I try to get word back to Oikawa and he comes here, there might be a bloodbath. On the other… could I really just forget about him like that after all, we went through? I curled up in my hammock, a sense of numbness so heavy I couldn’t even find relief in sleep. So I laid in my hammock until a knock on the door urged me to get up. It was Semi, bowing slightly. 

“Your turn for guard detail.” I nodded, numbly going to my task. My tour of guard duty was pretty uneventful. Mostly taking care of drunken women, half baked into a stupor. Men trying to grope me before ten am. They were easy enough to deal with, and I just went through the day on autopilot. I fell back in my hammock for another night of staring at the wall or ceiling. I might have gotten some sleep if I could tell the difference between my nightmares and flashbacks. The next day I was really starting to feel the effects. I couldn’t rip my arm away from one of the party girls who had gotten an attitude about something. Ohira had to separate the two of us and drag me into a hall. 

“Hey, the fuck is going on? You could have smoked that girl, but she almost had your ass.” I had never seen Ohira so angry before, using more curse words in a single sentence than I thought he even knew. “You are really fucking up this mission for us right now, making us look bad. You hooked on something?”

“No. It won’t happen again, sir.” I snapped, feeling unusually agitated. He slammed his hand next to my face against the wall. 

“This isn’t a fucking joke. Everyone on this squad fought to get this squad the reputation and have this life easy, Ushijima, most of all. I’m not going to let you piss this away because you got hooked on booze or whatever. So what the fuck is the problem so we can fix this before the Demon Captain finds out and throws your ass overboard.” 

“I said I’m fucking fine!” I shoved him hard against the wall and stormed back to my broom closet. My nightmares were even worse that night, and I barely was able to make it to breakfast. The squad took one look at me when I interred the galley before all nodding. Everyone save for Ushijima, and Tendo got up and left without a word. I slammed my tray down, bristling at my inevitable ass chewing. 

“Good morning, sunshine-” Tendo began brightly before I silenced him with a glare.

“I’ll fucking apologize to the girl and Ohira after breakfast.” I snapped, shoveling my cold eggs into my mouth. I didn’t really understand why I was even eating because I didn’t feel all that hungry. Tendo sighed and picked at his food while Ushijima cleared his throat.

“I am reassigning to you, Echo. From now on, you will no longer be allowed to leave my sight unless Tendo is around. That is an order, Echo. There is no arguing this.” He commanded before I even had a chance to argue. I gritted my teeth and stood up.

“So now I need to be babysat? Do I need your permission to go to the bathroom?” Ushijima’s expression didn’t change as he sipped his tea. 

“Fortunately, no. I should also inform you that you are relocating your sleeping quarters to the cabin across from mine. I have already made arrangements with the Captain. Tendo will help you move your things.” A single look from the squad captain ended any further argument, and I ate my breakfast in silence. If I hadn’t been so tired, I would have been shaking with rage. However, Tendo followed me singing his happy little songs and moving my things to the cabin Ushijima instructed me to wait in. 

“Aw, smile! You get your own bed, a nice window, and you get to be by the big guy’s side all the time. You are like his personal bodyguard!” Tendo purred, opening the door to my new room. It looked like a clean hotel room back on the min land minus the tiny porthole window just below the main deck. I sat on the extra-large twin bed heavily and folded my hands in my lap. 

“I guess I’ve really gotten bad if Ushijima is making himself my personal babysitter.” Tendo seemed at a loss for words, and I offered a small smile. 

“If it's about what we talked about and Oikawa was really close to you-” Tendo started shuffling shyly, and I shook my head. I gestured for him to sit down on the tiny loveseat across from my bed as I retold him everything that happened since I came to Africa. He listened patiently until I was done. I was shaking by the end of it, but it felt better now that I was talking to someone who hadn’t gone through it with me. 

“That’s a story, all right. Damn, we need to get you a movie deal or something,” Tendo said at last, jumping to his feet with his hands folded behind his back. “Well, now, it should be pretty easy to see what to do now.” I blinked and raised my eyebrow at him. 

“Care to explain?” Tendo grinned and poked my nose with his index finger. 

“You need to have a little fun and forget about that Oikawa for a little while.” he laughed when he saw my dumbfounded expression. “What? It’s super simple. Sure, you are still gonna be fucked up after seeing an entire village massacred, but you aren't gonna bring them back by killing yourself with guilt. And if Oikawa is someone that brings those kinds of memories back then stop thinking about him. When you can see him again, you will be able to fall into his lovely traitorous arms and feel all good again. Until then, why not have a little fun?” He raised his eyebrows, an expectant smirk giving him an almost boyish expression. 

“Tendo, you are terrifying,” I said after his words really hit me. He was right. I wouldn’t be on this ship forever, and maybe I could find Oikawa again. Until then… this was a party mission, after all. Tendo threw his hands in the air and threw his head back. 

“Victory!” He cheered, turning around, so he was looking at me upside down with his hands in peace signs on either side of my face. I smiled thirdly and ruffled his hair. 

“Yeah yeah, you crazy maniac. You win again. How do you always know how to cheer people up?” A wicked grin replaced the beaming smile, and he put his hands on his face and pulled it down. 

“Lucky guesses…” I shivered and hit him in the face with my pillow. 

“Never do that again. That’s freaky.” I laughed as there was a knock on my door. Tendo and I looked at each other before it was opened to reveal Ushijima. He glanced between us before his eyes settled on my face. Tendo straightened into an exaggerated salute. 

“Captain, sir! I am pleased to report that our Agent Echo is back online!” Ushijima’s frowned deepened ever so slightly as he looked back at his second in command. 

“Are you saying that she requires routine calibration despite being human?” I groaned and fell back onto the bed. Did he even realize how sexual that sounded? Tendo didn’t seem to notice the comment before saluting again. 

“Sir, it would seem our loyal servant needs calibration via lots of alcoholic lubricants, fun, and stress relief. I vote that she be given three days of rest to ensure all systems are properly recalibrated to your specifications.” My jaw dropped as I stared at Tendo. Was he seriously rolling with this? He was telling Ushijima, the squad leader, that I needed to get drunk and party while we were on a protect and serve a mission?

“Two days. One confined to the cabin and one among the party guests. Will that suffice, Echo?” Wait, that worked?

“Um, yeah. Yeah, sure.” I could have sworn I saw the giant smile at my response, but it might have just been me imagining things. He nodded, ordering Tendo to join him to cover for my absence during the watch rotation. The redhead winked at me before shooting me with his finger guns and dancing his way out of my room. The second they left, I hopped into the shower to wash the grim I had neglected for two days from my body. I didn’t bother to change into pajamas when I fell back into bed. I had the sense to pull on underwear and shorts before blissful dreamless sleep took over my body. 

“Echo! Get your ass up!” I woke to sirens and blaring horns as Goshiki was violently shaking me awake. I grabbed the gun next to my bed along with the knife, my body moving before my mind had a chance to process what was going on. Intruder alarms; we were being boarded. 

“Who, what, were, how many, what are their weapons?” I shouted to Goshiki as we both sprinted through the ship. The guests were panicking with the distant sounds of gunfire getting closer, darting into the nearest available room. 

“We don’t know how many yet. The targets snuck in through smaller speed boats from another ship hailing as a sinking ship sending out an SOS. The Captain fell right into the trap. They have the standard pirate semi-auto Ak’s, but their skills seem rudimentary at best. Tendo is taking care of the lower decks of the ship while Semi and Ohira are working with the captain to take down the main pirate ship. Ushijima sent me to get you-” He yelped when a bullet ricocheted off the wall next to his head as we passed one hallway. I heard a faint clatter of a grenade being thrown at our feet, and I tackled Goshiki to the ground. I hissed in pain as I felt the grenade go off behind me, slicing into my ack with tiny pieces of ricocheted shrapnel. The sound alone deafened me, but I signed to Goshiki. 

“Stay down and watch my back.” I saw him nod furiously before jumping to my feet. The doorway had blocked the worst of the grenade's damage, and the adrenaline going through my veins made any sense of pain nonresistant. It might have been a degraded or older model because the damage was mostly superficial and the blast alone didn't kill us. 

I saw the pirate who had thrown the grenade. An old geezer with half his mouth rotted out. I sneered as I fired my gun at him, aiming right between his eyes. He dropped like a rock. I rushed forward before his buddy could react to their fallen leader and slashed their necks, leaving them to drown in their own blood as I waved Goshiki to follow. I was practically naked, so reloading was not going to happen. I needed to save my fourteen bullets for when I absolutely needed it. 

Ohira came over the intercom a second later. 

“Target’s sighted on the aft and prow of the ship. All lower deck targets are currently being disposed of. All guests and crew, please proceed to your rooms as quickly as possible in a calm, orderly fashion. This is not a drill. Please lock yourselves in your room and a squad member will be around to check on you.” The Demon Captain then took over the mic and started on a tirade about pirates and what he would do to them if any were left alive. I almost laughed before a gun was pressed to the side of my head. The pirate shouted orders at me but was quickly shot in his hand by Goshiki. I didn’t have the right angle to slash at him, so I fired a bullet into his brain. Thirteen bullets left.

“Thanks, kid. Nice shot.” I panted back at him as I pushed the body out of the way. The blood was going to be impossible to get out. At this rate, I would have any clothes left for the rest of the voyage. 

“I was aiming for his head…” Goshiki mumbled under his breath. My blood suddenly went cold as I pointed his gun away from me. He Was still a trainee.

“I think you should take the lead in that case…” He did so excitedly, rushing forward and yelling at the top of his lungs as we searched for more pirates that may have escaped. Most of the crew were injured or dead in the halls as we passed. Just before we got to the main deck, I caught a glimpse of Shirabu hunched over a half-dead crewmember. A pirate stepped out from the side hallway and raised his machete to take off the doctor's head. Before I could even raise my gun, Shirabu stabbed the pirate in the leg with a needle and pushed the plunger. The man was down in a second, writhing on the floor with foam forming at his lips. I caught a wicked glint in the doctor's eyes before I hurried past. I made a mental note to never bother Shirabu when he was reading after this. 

I found myself on the main deck under bright spotlights illuminating the entire ship as bright as daylight. I squinted against the sudden brightness before my eyes zeroed in on the brawl in the center. Ushijima was fighting seven pirates barehanded by himself, Goshiki struggling to fend off more from getting onto the ship via rope ladders and grappling hooks. I jumped onto the deck with my gun and knife at the ready, but something stopped me. 

Ushijima’s eyes were so intense that they seemed to burn in the cold night air. His fist connecting effortlessly with the face of one pirate, sending the slightly smaller man crashing into the water below. A kick to the jaw of another sent that pirate reeling back. His muscle flexed tightly under his shirt, which looked as if it would rip with every punch he threw. I watched as Ushijima grabbed the wrist of another pirate as he tried to shoot Ushijima. He twisted the man’s arm painfully into the submission hold he put me under when we first spar and drove his knee into the pirates face. The man collapsed to the ground, half his skull now caved in from the force of Ushjima’s knee. The other three pirates took the chance and lept onto him, tackling him to the ground and landing blow after blow against Ushijima’s face and body. 

A sense of rage washed over me, and I screamed. Rushing forward, I shot one target in the head at point-blank range while my knee drove straight into the chest of the other. The two bodies fell off Ushijima, allowing the giant to rip his last opponent off with his free hand. The pirate I had kicked in the chest kicked my gun from my hand as he slashed at me. I barely managed to dodge as the knife sliced my cheek. I glanced behind me to see a dark stain growing on Ushijima’s side as he stumbled into a standing position. He was severely hurt, but that didn’t seem to slow him down much. I watched as Ushijima dodged the first three pouches the pirate threw at him before my vision blurred. I found myself on my back on the ground, my target standing over me with a wicked grin as he lifted his arm to stab me. I caught his hand, straining to keep the knife from sticking into my neck. 

“Echo!” I heard Ushijima yell behind me. I lifted my head to look up at him as I gritted my teeth.

“I got this! Help Goshiki!” I groaned, kneeing my target in the groin. The man groaned but did not get off. I twisted slightly, forcing the target to stab himself in the chest. Blood pooled around my hands and dripped onto my bra and skin. I pushed him off, almost managing to get away before he caught my ankle. He wasn’t going to die quietly, and I wasn’t about to let him get away with hurting my captain. I hissed and slammed my heel down on his face over and over again until it was nothing but a mushy pile on the deck. Thankfully he barely had any teeth, so I wasn't worried about catching anything from his blood.

My memories rushed back to me, and I stood frozen in terror. No, not now! I looked up and saw Oikawa bloodied and crying in front of me. My breath caught in my throat, and all I could hear was the blood rushing through my ears. 

“Why, Echo? Why would you abandon me all alone in a place like this?” His voice sounded as if he were really there. My gut twisted before Tendo’s words came back to me. I glared at the false Oikawa and squared my shoulders. 

“I’ll come back to you. I promise. Just hold on until I do.” I stepped through him, the memories and blood fading from my vision as I saw Tendo breaking the young boy's neck. He couldn’t have been much older than Goshiki, but it still made my stomach lurch. Just another dead child in a senseless violent world. Tendo quickly turned and dropped the body over the side and said a small prayer before turning back to me. 

“You seemed a little busy, so I helped.” I kissed his cheek and patted his shoulder. I blamed my actions on my fucked up emotions. 

“More than you could ever know,” I said as I turned back to the mission at hand. Tendo's eyes went wide before he burst out into a fit of giggles. 

“Careful Echo! I might think you are falling in love with me.” He teased, spinning his serrated knives between his fingers as another boat full of pirates boarded. I picked up my gun and squared my shoulders. A distant explosion out on the water illuminated the deck in a fiery orange, and I couldn’t help but smile. At least this would be the last of the motherfuckers.

“Dream on, Tendo. Dream on.” He whooped in glee as the pirates began to look nervous. With all their fellow shipmates either dead or dying on the ground, they were the only ones left facing a squad of bloodthirst Agents. It was almost comical to think that they could make it out of this situation alive. I sighed as I realized Tendo was now rubbing off on me. Before the unlucky pirates could surrender, we were on them. Tendo was slashing and stabbing two pirates mercilessly, singing his sick twisted song. 

“Breath them, break them! Break what? Their hearts! Smash and slash it all into tiny little pieces.” Goshiki jumped on another as the target raised his gun to kill Tendo. The trainee tried to use Ushijima’s flying leg throw, but he didn't have the body mass or the strength to pull it off. He managed to recover and settle for simple hand to hand combat. Ushijima’s hands closed around the throat of another, body slamming him into the ground before throwing him overboard. The last pirate turned to me with wide eyes. He looked like he was either the leader or an upper chain of command if I had to guess from his attire. I grinned. 

“See you in hell, bitch.” I fired my gun, sending his body toppling over the railing into the open ocean. Tendo huffed and kicked his own dead targets over the side as well. 

“Really, of all the lines you could have used, you used that one?” He mocked. I flicked him off before surveying the carnage. A few of the healthier crew were already scanning the de clean up process. Blood and bodies still littered the deck, but it would be easy to clean with the approaching storm. I turned to Ushijima, who was unvaryingly pale. He clutched the growing stain on his side as he panted. 

“Someone get Shirabu! The captain is dying!” Goshiki shrieked, his head whipping around in panic. Tendo and I stepped forward to inspect the damage. Ushijima lifted his shirt without question and leaned slightly into the light. Tendo tapped his cheek before looking at me.

“What do you think? I'm no doctor, but he probably shouldn't be walking around with his insides out like that.” I gently touched the wound with my clean hand and watched as Ushijima winced hard. His face twisted into an irritated scowl as he lowered his shirt and waited for my verdict. How did I become the impromptu doc?

“Doesn’t look like it hit anything vital. I can patch it up enough until Shirabu can get a closer look at it. Where is the medbay?” Ushijima shook his head. 

“My cabin is closer and has the supplies you will need.” He turned to Tendo and Goshiki as he quickly placed his hand over his wound. “Find Semi and Ohira. We need to do a thorough sweep of the ship to assess the collateral damage and see if any managed to escape.”

“I should stay and help you-” Goshiki tried to insist before I cut him off. 

“Unless you have experience with field medicine, you will be more useful for sweeping the ship. We don’t want any more collateral damage if one of those fuckers are still around.” The observation didn’t seem to convince Goshiki, but he still bowed deeply and ran off with Tendo to search the ship. I held out my arm to Ushijima, smiling slightly. “I’m going to help whether you want it or not.” He snorted. 

“I will crush you.” He replied, taking a step forward before stumbling. I caught him before he could fall too far and smirked. He panted heavily as he willingly took my shoulder as his support. I might have only been big enough to be a crutch, but it worked out. 

“Yeah, that’s what a lot of guys say. No one seems to go through with that threat.” He frowned, his bangs plastered against his forehead from sweat.

“You’re hurt.” He noted as I winced across the deck towards the port door.

“Eh, I’ll survive.” He shook his head and moved to walk by himself again before we got to the door. 

“That doesn’t mean you are not injured-”

“Shut up, I’ll be fine. You are the one with a foot in the grave, not me.” I snapped before retaking his shoulder.

“I have one foot in the door-” He mumbled in confusion before I groaned. 

“Just shut up and stop being so literal. I made an analogy."

“A very poor one.”

“Say you!” I laughed, ruffling his hair as if he were Tendo. He blinked in surprise at the action, and for a moment, he looked like a little boy. The severe and stern scowl he always wore lifted to reveal such an innocent face I almost hugged him. He seemed to notice my blush on my cheek because he looked away, a hint of color in his cheeks. Oh shit...

___  
I realize it is mostly a chapter like Tendo x OC, but stop calling me out for simping. There will be a part 2 out soon. I just need to finish editing. Updates should come weekly with the chapters written and waiting for editing. Oikawa will get part 2 as well. Thank you for being patient. PT2 will be a more drool show of the heart throbbing Watachi Ushijima (mega simp; no hate)


	5. Ushijima Wakatoshi PT2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If there could be a theme to this chapter... Let's just say I'm a writer who enjoys tasteful plot twists. 
> 
> "All is fair in Love and War"

“That hurts.” Ushijima hissed deeply, jerking away from my hand. Ushijima lay back with his arm spread across the rim of the tub, so I had unlimited access to the gash on his abs and side. If I wasn’t so focused on keeping the blood loss to a minimum, I would probably be drooling over his body. Sadly, I had to keep the pain in the ass, sexy, stoic, impossible to read captain alive. I sighed and furrowed my eyebrows together as I pressed the gauze over the weeping wound. I threw his blood-soaked shirt into the shower to minimize the mess before we started this impromptu surgery.

“If you would stop squirming, this would not be such a Herculean feat to accomplish.” I huffed back. My fingers brushed over the tight cords of muscle as they flexed in reaction to my touch. He had a few scars here and there, but otherwise, he was almost untouched. He had a light brown line of hair that started at his naval that darkened as it disappeared into his pants. A bruise was beginning to form along his bare forearm, where one of the targets had kicked him. “I barely even got the first stitch in.” 

“That doesn’t make it hurt less.” I leaned back on my heels, holding the needle and thread in one hand and the bloody gauze in the other. I had bits of fucking shrapnel in my back and arms, and I was still complaining less than this massive hunk of a man. Granted, I was used to the throbbing in my back, and they weren’t bleeding enough to cause a problem. Though it was getting cold just being in a bloodied sports bra and underwear. Still, I wasn't complaining. 

“Do you want to get stitched up, or are you going to make Shirabu come in here?” On the way down, Ushijima thanked me for tending to him instead of the young doctor. The young doctor had a tendency to be slightly ruthless when he treated patients and often yelled at them for getting hurt in the first place. It wasn’t hard to imagine.

Ushijima scowled before looking away. I took his silence as complacency and began working at his wound. “Lean to the other side just a little bit, so you don’t break the stitches.”

He did so, moving his left arm above his head and leaning the right. I frowned, unable to get a decent angle to make it more comfortable for him. With a deep breath, I shifted and threw my bare leg over his lap as my shoulder leaned against the wall of the tub. I smiled when that gave me even more light and tried not to glance up at his face. True to his silent word, Ushijima stayed quiet as I slid the needle in and out of his skin. I could feel him clenching his jaw and fists to remain that way, but I tried to make it as painless as possible. I gestured to the bottle of tequila by the rim of the tub. He handed it to me after taking a long gulp of the vial liquid. Taking a similar long pull as my back started to really ache. I gave it back to him and watched him drain two or three deep gulps again before putting it back down. Ok, he could handle his liquor. I blinked up at him, and he raised his eyebrow. I quickly returned to my task and pulled the last stitch tight. He hissed as I tied off the suture with a satisfied sigh. 

“Now I just have to patch it and wrap it. Should be a cool scar to brag about to your squadmates.” I joked, leaning out of the tub to wash off my hands. I heard him shift back and flex his massive legs despite the bathtub being rather large.

“It is only a scar. There is no reason to dwell on how I got it. If anything, it is a reminder that I was not able to dodge effectively.” Always the overachiever and blatant literalist. 

Once I had the gauze wrapped behind an ace bandage, I made a move to find someone to get the shrapnel out of my back. Before I could climb out of the tub, Ushijima caught my wrist. 

“That shrapnel will get infected if you don’t remove them soon.” I frowned as he shifted to his knees. He nodded to the other side of the tub, and I snorted. Turn my back on him in such a provocative position? 

“You trying to make me break my back? I can’t lay down, and it’s not like you know how to do minor surgery.” Sure, if I moved too much, the metal would embed into my muscle and skin, and the damage would be irreparable. Best case, I would get lead poisoning or infection for a while. Worst case, I would die. But was that really much better than letting the captain pull it out of my back?

“I have taken field medicine as a part of my training to be a squad captain. Put your arms on the rim of the tub, and I’ll remove the shrapnel. Unless you want to bring Shirabu in here.” His eyes glinted with humor as the corner of his lip twitched up. My eyes narrowed, and I huffed. 

“Yeah, use my words against me. Really smooth. At least you have a sense of humor,” I did as Ushijima instructed and folded my arms over the lip of the tub. 

"I enjoy anything humorous. Tendo often makes very amusing jokes." I tried not to comment that I had not seen him laugh once at any of Tendo's jokes. Ushijima moved int he tub to get more comfortable.   
He tapped my shoulder with the tequila bottle as I felt his knees straddle either side of my hips. I hope to any God or gods watching that he didn’t see the blush on my cheeks. I would blame the pain and alcohol. 

“You might need this.” I nodded and took a long pull as my eyes focused on the wall in front of me. I tried not to shiver as he gently pulled my hair around my shoulder to get a proper look at my back. “I need to cut your bra off.” Now there was no denying my face was red. How could he say something like that as if he were just pointing out a cloud in the sky?

“You need to what-” I started to twist around before he caught my injured shoulder. That damn electric feeling caused me to freeze so he could explain himself. 

“There are bits of shrapnel that have embedded themselves into your back within your bra. To remove them, I have to remove your bra. Pulling it over your head would only worsen your wounds.” He was so calm about this. Did he not realize how awkward this was? He was my squad captain, and I had barely been with this squad for a week. Tendo’s voice sang in my head that it wouldn’t be the first time I got inappropriate with a squad captain. I blushed as I buried my face in the crook of my arm. I didn’t need to be reminded of how Oikawa and my night had started so similar to this. “However, if you would rather Shirabu-”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just have to wear other bras.” Too much information, Echo. “Just hurry up and get it over with before I change my mind,” I said hurriedly as I downed another gulp of tequila. Thankfully I was already starting to feel the steady warmth deep in my gut as it did its job. I lifted my head as I heard him rummage through the medical kit for the scissors. I couldn’t help but let a small gasp out as the icy metal met my back under my sweaty bra. 

“Sorry, I will try to be gentle.” His voice was soft in my ear; it somehow made me shiver harder and grip the edge of the tub. I put the bottle down in realization the alcohol was doing its job too well. The only sound between us was the soft snipping of fabric as he cut my bra away. I wiped the dried blood from my ears as he shifted behind me. I could see his shadow silhouette loom over and devour my own. The second the fabric fell from my body, I tossed it to the side. The cold rim of the tub sent goosebumps flashing across my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. His hands pressed into my back as he began to pull out the larger pieces of shrapnel. His hands sent a different kind of shiver down my spine. I tried to remain as relaxed as possible as he dug into my back, but he wasn’t precisely the gentle type. 

“You are doing murder surgery, Captain.” I groaned at a particularly deep piece of metal he had to dig out. I was crying silently, but I refused to let him see me in such a vulnerable state. At least not directly. He stopped digging and leaned back. 

“I did not know I was killing you. I’ll find Shirabu-” I reached back and caught his wrist with my hand and looked back at him.

“You started it, now hurry up and finish it so I can stop bleeding out in your hot tub.” He stared down at me for a moment before returning to his previous position behind me. I prayed that there wasn’t a strong wave during this storm that would knock him into me. I did not think I mentally had the strength to resist the temptations the tequila was whispering in my ear. Thankfully there were only a few more, and he made quick but gentle work of them. 

“Done.” He said. I collapsed in relief against the tub, my neck craning painfully as my back arched in the tub. It was as uncomfortable as hell, but it was a million times better than the agony I had been in seconds before. 

“Oh, fucking finally." I gasped, shifting so I could turn around. 

"Not yet. I need to stitch a few closed and bandage the rest. With so many shrapnel holes, you will probably need to have your entire torso wrapped." He went to grab the stitches before I stopped him. 

"I don't need them. I don't mind scars." He tilted his head to the side with a slightly deeper frown. 

"At least let me give you a butterfly for those that need it." I shrugged and went back to leaning over the bathtub. I was starting to doze off when he finished with an awkward pat to my head. "Let me get you a shirt." I moved to get up, but then I remembered I had nothing to cover my chest with. I leaned back down and waited for him to come back. 

"Here. Borrow this." He tossed me a black shirt that I slipped on and frowned. The neck alone left one of my shoulders exposed, and it looked more like a dress because the damn hem was almost past my knees. I glared up at him. 

"Is this some short joke?" I fumed, stomping up to him and trying to get in his face as much as possible. 

"I don't understand how letting you borrow my clothes has anything to do with you being short." He was candid, the jerk. I opened my mouth to reply, but he did something really fucking weird. He reached out and rested the back of his hand against the soft skin of my shoulder. His fingers ghosted across the nape of my neck, gently twisting the strands of my hair. "I'll buy you new clothes when we reach our next port." My heart skipped a moment before I bowed my head and moved from under his hand. His touch was addictive, and I couldn't risk falling for another trap. Not like this. 

"I'm fine. I can pay for it myself. Losing clothes is part of the job." The sleeves went over my hand, an annoyance that I noticed when I wrapped one arm around my waist and pushed a fallen strand of hair. "Anyway, if you don't need anything else from me, Captain, I'll be thanking you and turn in. it's been a long day."

"Call me Wakatoshi," he said bluntly, folding his hands behind his back and bowing slightly. "I thank you for assisting me as well. I doubt I would do as neat stitchwork as you have demonstrated. Perhaps you should become a doctor instead of an Agent." 

"Fuck you, Captain." I hissed, my fists clenching. "I'm a fucking Agent; nothing will change that so long as I'm still breathing." iI shoved past him and went to my cabin, slamming the door behind me and falling back into my bed. One of my last two thoughts were that I would take a shower in the morning. The other thought was that Wakatoshi kinda smelled like the earth. Not in a bad way, but in a deep musk that was so... grounding. 

__

The guests insisted on having a memorial at sea for the fallen guests and crew. We had only had two guest casualties and three crew, which could have easily been much worse. I went through the funeral in a sort of sobering second-hand melancholy, avoiding Wakatoshi as much as possible. I escaped the entire day without ever speaking a word to him, thankfully. I fell asleep in his shirt again that night; his scent slightly faded, but it kept the nightmares from waking me up at night. The client insisted that a few days after the funeral, we return to partying, celebrating the fallen lives and thanking the squad for their protection. It was overkill, in my opinion, but I was outvoted. Tendo nearly begged me to join the party, but I refused. My nightmares might be under control, but I didn't trust myself to join the dance scene. At least not yet. 

That night I found myself on the bridge overlooking the party below as I kept my eyes on the scanners in case any ships were looking for trouble. The Demon Captain seemed to support my volunteer service to watch the bridge while he went to the party. I wanted to be alone when I tapped into the internet anyway. 

I leaned against screens in the bridge, looking down numbly at my phone. I wished I had thought to bring a bottle of alcohol up with me when I found what I guess I was looking for. Oikawa was posting pictures of himself in Asia, his arms holding a different girl in every picture very intimately. I stalked his private profiles, and my heart sank even further. I knew the Company did not know about his private photos, so the reality that he really moved on hit home when every trace of our relationship was gone. Every picture, every drunk text, every private conversation he saved on his private cloud.

I turned off my phone and put my head in my hand. Did I really expect anything different? Oikawa was a playboy, bouncing around from girl to girl like they were a shiny new gun until a better one came along. He really made me feel special, but I guess it was just an act. It wasn't like I tried to leave hints for him. The letter, how I left everything we made together, the kiss in those final moments together. I guess it was too little too late. 

"Guess I was just another distraction to you," I whispered into the bridge's emptiness before I wiped a tear from my eye. "You really had me going, Playboy." 

"Tears don't solve anything, Echo." I straightened quickly when Wakatoshi's voice cut through the distant sound of dance music below me. He was walking into the bridge with his black button-down buttoned to the very top, his black slacks perfectly ironed to match the shiny neatness of his dress shoes. He must have come up from the party. He walked up to me until he stood in front of me, not even centimeter away. I stiffened, not trusting my voice at the moment. However, he said nothing and instead reached up to cradle my cheek in his hand. His thumb gently brushed the tear running down my cheek as his eyes gazed down at me softly. "Tears are for the weak and heartbroken. Not you." a weak smile made my lips twitch before I gently snorted out a laugh. 

"Bold of you to assume I'm not heartbroken." I pulled away from his touch and sidestepped him before turning to face the windows overlooking the open sea. "It's okay, I'll get over it. Not the last time its gonna happen. I don't have anything to report." I paused before remembering that I had brought his shirt with me. In retrospect, I had no idea why I brought it in the first place. Maybe because I knew what I would find when I looked up Oikawa and recognized that it had become a security blanket of sorts. 

"I washed your shirt," I mumbled, reaching into my weapons bag and held out the slightly wrinkled shirt out to him. "Thank you... for letting me borrow it." He hesitantly reached out before gently pushing it back to my chest. 

"Keep it. You looked adorable when you wear such things." I snorted, throwing the shirt in his face. 

"First you tell me to quit being an Agent, then you call me adorable? You fucking missing the fact that I kicked your ass when we sparred? I'm not some woman that you can throw away." My chest tightened, realizing that I was just that. Oikawa had thrown me away like I was only every other girl. Wakatoshi's eyes narrowed and tossed his shirt to the side with his arms crossed over his chest. 

"I never said you should quit." Make me his what? I blinked in surprise as he continued. "Despite your emotional instabilities and general disadvantages, you work well with your teammates and command their respect. You also make up for height with skill and talent. Your resourcefulness makes you a great asset to the Company." 

An Asset, hun? I guess life is simpler if you just think of yourself as a number in this line of work. 

"I'm getting mixed signals here, Captain. You trying to insult me or pay me a compliment?" I laughed sarcastically, "I've been here for maybe two weeks and will probably be gone in another. What makes you so sure you know me?"

"Do you want to leave?" The question hit me squarely in the chest like a bat. I flinched, looking out the far window away fro Wakatoshi. To be perfectly honest, I had no reason to do anything. Daichi was still a ghost in the world, and Ukia wouldn't tell me anything. Asahi and Sugawara were gone as well. I wasn't sure if they were dead or just deep underground. Wakatoshi stepped forward and pushed my shoulder until I was facing him. He lifted my chin, looking down at me with almost a pitying expression. "I made you my second in command because you have earned it. Also, I don't want you to leave." 

"Why?" That question slipped from my lips before I could stop it. It sounded so pitiful in my own ears that I wanted to stab myself. How could I let Oikawa bring me to my knees like this? Oh, because I was in love with him, and I was a moron for thinking he felt the same way. 

"Stop crying. It's unbecoming of a strong warrior like you." His eyes narrowed as he gripped my shoulder tightly. I let out a small chuckle before I wiped my eyes and squared my shoulders. 

"I didn't realize how far my head was up my ass. Thank you, Wakatoshi." I patted his shoulder and turned back to the party with a distant feeling of... tranquility. I had been carrying around so much guilt, and now it was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. 

"It is anatomically impossible to put one's head up their own ass. You're welcome, I guess." He moved to my side, our arms touching slightly in the darkness of the bridge with the flashing lights from the party below us. I leaned forward, watching Tendo tease Semi until the grey-haired Agent finally walked up to a group of girls. The rejection was instant, and the poor guy slunk quickly back to the rest of the squad. 

"Looks like everyone is having fun."

"You don't seem to be interested in joining the party. Why?" The question seemed odd coming from the captain, but I shrugged. 

"One of my missions went really south, and I haven't been able to dance since. Which sucks, I guess. I used to love dancing." He went quiet for a few minutes before taking my hand and dragging me out of the bridge. "What are you doing? I'm supposed to be on watch-"

"I'll have Semi replace you. You are going to dance." I tried to twist out of his grip, but he gave me no room to even feel my fingers. his long legs also ate up the distance in the passage so fast that I had no chance of actually objecting. 

"Wait, I don't think this is a good idea-" He slammed the door open to the main deck, the music pounding against my chest as the lights blinded me. I started to panic as I found myself immersed in the club's disorienting haze like the scene on the deck. Instead of flashing back to the village, I found myself safe and actually getting the urge to dance to the music the DJ was playing. I stopped resisting, realizing that the sense of grounding was actually coming from Wakatoshi. He pulled me through the crowd, leading me to our squad's group at the far end of the party. Tendo saw us first, laughing with his arms wrapped around two different women. 

"Looks like our fearless leader has returned with his conquest. How did you like the ride-"

"She is here to dance." Wakatoshi snapped at Tendo to stop his taunting. "Semi, Goshikia, watch the bridge." He then disappeared from my side like a shadow and pushed his way through the crowd. I stood there, being slightly jostled by the crew and the party guests. Semi sighed, downing another shot before grabbing the clearly shitfaced trainee. 

"This party blows anyway." The Agent muttered as he passed me. I turned to the remaining group and felt slightly out of place. Shirabu was dancing on the makeshift table, singing at the top of his lungs, out of key, and looked about as shitfaced as Goshiki. Ohira was chatting up a girl at the next table over, looking like he was about to score for the night. Tendo was flirting like a pro, the girls on his arms giggling like coy little school girls. He toyed with them, teasing one before flirting with another to cause the girls to compete for his attention. It was sickening to watch how he could guess what buttons to push with each girl, not caring when one gave up and walked off. They were always quickly replaced. 

"I'm getting a drink," I shouted over the music, dodging as much of the crowd as I could. After the night I was having, I deserved to indulge a little. The bartender raised his eyebrow when he saw me alone at the bar, taking shots like they were water. 

"Hey, you should slow down," he said gently, his kind brown eyes looked down at me with gentle disapproval. His honey-colored hair almost glinted in the everchanging lights of the party. I looked at his name tag pinned to his chest as my vision began to blur. 

"I'm fine...what kind of name is Tsukishima Akiteru? Have we met?" he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. 

"No, you must have met my little brother. He left home a year ago to join the Company." I shook my head, pointing at him. 

"Nope, you were one of the trainees in my upper class. You were demoted out past Representative. How ware you even alive?" I slurred, earning a sad smile from the cute bartender. 

"Good or bad luck, depending on how you look at it. You drinking to remember or forget?" He changed the subject at the same moment my favorite song began to play. I held up my finger and darted to the dance floor. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who loved the song. The dancefloor began to almost come alive, the feeling of grinding bodies mixing with the pulsing music brought something out. I started rubbing up against the first person who was willing to do so. I was too drunk to care if a guy or girl was my dance partner, instead letting the music control my movement and thoughts. For a second, I felt like I had fallen in love with dancing again, and I could enjoy the party scene again. Oikawa had taken me to my first club in Africa, and it was nothing compared to what I was experiencing now. I wasn't watching people burn alive, smiling faces twisted into looks of terror... 

"Please, not now..." I said to myself as my movements slowed, my smile becoming more forced. The people around me started twisting, the lights playing tricks on me. The bodies around me began bleeding as they moved, their laughs looking like screams. The grinding of bodies suddenly coming oppressive, and I couldn't stop shaking. No, no, no, no...

"Please... not now." Oikawa was in front of me, the crowd jostling hos broken and bleeding form. His eyes looked at me with a look of pure hate as blood spewed from his lips as he spoke. 

"You were too late, Echo. Just like back in that village." tears spilled from my eyes as I began getting tossed around the dance floor. I hissed in pain when an elbow jammed into my back, someone's hand sending me stumbling back. A foot stomping on my own while some else's knee jammed into the back of my own. I collapsed, holding either side of my head to stop the crowd from killing me and hiding from the vision. 

"Stop, you aren't real! I didn't want to- I'm not weak..." I felt a hand grip the back of my shirt, pulling me to my feet before I was engulfed in a bear hug. I panicked, fighting back from being buried before I felt myself being carried hastily out of the middle of the dance floor. I looked up and saw Wakatoshi, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he shoved the guests out of his way until he pulled me into the lower deck. He pulled me into an empty room before pushing me back against the wall and cradling my face between his hands. 

"Echo, echo, I'm here. Talk to me." His voice was lower than I had ever heard before. His eyes were darting across my face, his frown deepening with concern as he crouched to look me in the eyes. My chest heaved, and I could feel myself shaking. Images of fire and smoke mixed with the sight of Wakatoshi's concern. My hands shook, and I made a motion with my hands to signal I couldn't breathe. He didn't hesitate before jamming his fist under my ribs, causing me to double over and fall to my knees. I threw up most of the shots I had taken, my body heaving as I tried to suck in as much air as I could between spewing my stomach on the floor. Wakatoshi held my hair from my face, kneeling beside me and patting my back. 

"Breathe, Echo. Calm down. Focus on my voice. You are safe..." He soothed, his voice commanding every action of my body. I slowly began to relax, spitting the last bits of vomit from my mouth and wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I panted heavily, my shoulders shaking with tears still streaming from my eyes with the force of my vomiting. 

"Fuck, fuck, fuck..." I hissed, sitting back on my heels as I looked at my mess I had made. I was slightly soberer, but my head was still spinning. "Captain, I'm-""

"You should not have left Tendo's side. What were you thinking?" He barked, his shoulders stiffening as I felt his body begin to shake in rage. I lowered my head, prepared for the verbal ass-kicking I deserved. 

"I know, he just... he pissed me off when he started toying with those girls-""

"Why should you care who he toys with? If those women are shallow enough to be manipulated so easily, you should not waste a single thought on them. You are better than that." he stood up suddenly, lifting me up by my arm. "You need water." He didn't give me a chance to argue as he pulled me out into the passageway and dragged me to the living quarters. I stumbled along after him, struggling even more now that I was slightly tipsy. He ignored my objections and pulled me into his room. Once inside, he sat me down on his bed as he went to find me something to drink out of. 

His room was just how I imagined he would keep it. Minimalistic with everything kept in a military sort of neatness. My quarters mirrored his, save for the hot tub had worked in a few nights ago. A photo on the nightstand caught my attention. There were two, actually, but I picked up only one. It was a picture of what I assumed was a conventional family, slightly faded and wrinkled from what looked like years of use. A mother and father holding a younger boy, who held a ball happily between his tiny hands. The father was beaming proudly down at his son while the mother had a small half-smile that was obviously forced. They looked like they were out int the fields of a farm overlooking a small farmhouse in the distance. My eyes widened when I recognized those familiar olive eyes. 

"My father died a month after that photo was taken." Wakatoshi's voice causes me to jump, practically tossing the photo in the air. He was standing in front of me, holding out a glass of water with his expression betraying nothing. I held up the picture sheepishly, taking the glass from his hand as we exchanged items. 

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, sipping my water as I kept my gaze glued to the floor. The captain sat down next to me, holding the photo delicately in his hands. He kept his eyes on his father, his thumb brushing against the image of his younger self. 

"You should not apologize. You were not the one who killed him." He leaned forward, so his arms rested on his knees. "He was very good friends with Captain Washijō, one of the best Agent's in the Company at the time. He was supposed to take over the Company before his last mission failed. He died protecting me." I couldn't help but watch his face, the glass in my hand, tipping precariously, but I was too enthralled by his story. 

"My mother took me away after that to live on my grandparent's farm. She trained to protect myself, but my father had taught me too much about being an Agent. I had to follow in his footsteps. To honor his memory and thank him for saving me." I had never heard his voice carry so much emotion. His expression didn't change, but his tone carried so much weight that I caught myself hanging off every word. After a long stretch of silence, he leaned back, handing the photo to me. "He taught me so much about being healthy and a leader before he died. I hold great respect for the man." I smiled, leaning my head against his shoulder as I looked at the picture between my fingers. 

"You were a cute kid. What happened?" I teased, trying not to dwell on the somber note of his father's death. He shifted for a moment before resting his chin on the side of my head. 

"I'm no longer a child, so I assume the adorable child aura you describe is an effect of aging." He paused for a moment before pulling away. I looked up, surprised to see him looking suddenly vulnerable. "Do you think I'm ugly?" 

"What? No!" I jerked away, waving my hand franticly from side to side to take back whatever idea he had gotten in his head. "I was just joking. You aren't ugly at all. You're kinda hot, actually. Fuck- I... not what I..." My grave was already dug, so I just faceplanted into it. I groaned out loud, burying my face in my hands. 

"Oh..." I didn't know what he thought because I couldn't see his face. Instead of stewing in my shame, I got up to leave, placing the photo where I had been sitting. "Wait." Just like the day we met, that command caused me to stop in my tracks and look back over my shoulder. He was standing at the foot of his bed, a slightly worried expression causing his frown to deepen. 

"What about your family?" My chest tightened before I offered a tight smile. 

"Let's just say I'm jealous that you have such beautiful memories of your own dad. I should really be going to bed..." I turned back to leave, but I felt his hand snatch mine before I could move. 

"Stay. Please." He was blushing now, "I-I don't like to be alone when I think about my past." My eyes widened. The great Captain Ushijima Wakatoshi, a man who shattered a grown man's skull between his bare hands, looked like a vulnerable child holding my hand. I relaxed, turning back to cradle his cheek in my hand. His eyes lifted to me mine in surprise, his lips parting slightly. 

"I'll stay as long as you want me to," I whispered, the faintest of smiles lifting the corner of my mouth. He placed his hand over my own, leaning into my palm and closing his eyes. 

"You smell nice." He mumbled, turning his head to kiss my palm gently. I sucked in my breath, my entire body stiffening in surprise as my heart started beating a thousand kilometers an hour. His eyes snapped open to look at me, but his lips did not leave my palm. his eyes were slightly hooded, his expression a mix of curiosity and openness. He was risking every part of him in that motion, waiting to see if I would do that same. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry as the Sahara. 

This was the point of no return. If I rejected the captain now, I could never I hope to have any sort of relationship with him again. If I accepted... I didn't know what would happen. So, I took a risk as well. 

I stepped forward and pulled his face down to meet my own. The second our lips touched, it was like something had snapped between us. My hand was in his hair as I pressed my lips harder against his. God, he tasted like tequila, but I didn't care. I silently wished I had done more than drink water before we had kissed, but it was too late to go back now. I pulled his hair slightly as I stood up on my toes to deepen the kiss. 

He hummed softly against my lips as his hands gripped the back of my thighs and lifted me in the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist without thinking about it before my back was slammed against the wall. The force crushed the breath from my lungs, but I still managed to hiss in pain. 

"Sorry." he pulled away, his hands cupping my ass to support my weight as he pulled me away from the wall. "I forgot about your back. I promise to be more gentle." He panted, his eyes slightly hooded as he leaned his forehead against mine. I chuckled, pulling his lips back to mine. 

"I'm a big girl, I can handle it," I mumbled against his lips, feeling an intimidating large bulge start growing in his pants. Please don't make me regret my words tomorrow, I thought to myself. He hummed, pressing me gently against the wall once again before pressing our hips in a slow grinding motion. I moaned softly against his lips as his hands squeezed my ass a little more tightly. His tongue hesitantly began licking my bottom lip, so I responded by opening my mouth a little wider. He was cautious, searching my mouth, his tongue dancing awkwardly with mine before shoving it down my throat. I choked in surprise, causing him to jerk back. 

"Sorry, I don't normally do this..." His cheeks tinted, and he looked away. I frowned in confusion. 

"Are-are you a virgin-" His lips crashed against mine to eat the rest of my question. 

"No. Just... you are different from the others. I care about you." He breathed, one of his hands lifting to cradle my neck as his thumb brushed my lower jaw. "I want... I want you, Echo. If you will have me." He was so formal and respectful, and to my surprise, that only made me even hotter. My legs tightened around his hips as I pulled him back to my lips. 

"Yes, please... Wakatoshi." I whispered against his lips. The wall disappeared from my back, and I was half thrown on the bed. his kisses became even more desperate, his hands now in my hair and tangling in the wild strands. His chest pressed me firmly into the bed as his hips bucked against mine. I moaned, my hands clawing at the hem of his shirt until he got the message. He leaned back and stripped his shirt, tossing it to the far corner of the room to be forgotten. My eyes ate up the view of the broad planes of his pecs before traveling lower to his expertly sculpted abs shamelessly. He moved to lean forward, but my hand shot out and pressed against his navel. He paused, looking slightly confused before humming in appreciation as I trailed my fingers across his chest. I traced every plain and valley of his torso as if I were memorizing a map. My legs continued to squeeze his hips, my body propped up on my one forearm behind me. 

"Echo..." Wakatoshi growled, his muscles flexing under my touch as he tried to control himself. I smiled, drinking in the view for another moment before I laid back in the bed and lifted my chin to expose my neck. He took the invitation and pressed his lips to the soft skin under my jaw. I shivered, my breath slowly becoming slightly more erratic as my fingers began tracing the planes of his back. He suddenly had my shirt discarded from my body, hovering above me on his forearms. His eyes scanned over every centimeter of me, his lips slightly parted as his breath puffed gently against my face. He was so gentle with me. I could almost forget that his hands could crush me without a second thought. The danger and the gesture made me only feel more alive. I whimpered, popping off my bra and tossing it to the side. His eyes widened in excitement as he gazed down at my bare chest. 

"Beautiful..." he breathed, closing his eyes to kiss the space between my breast. He took a deep breath in the second his lips met my skins, repeating this a few times before opening his eyes to look up at me. "Adorable." I blushed and ruffled his hair. 

"Stop it..." He pulled away, tilting his head to the side with a deep frown. 

"I'm sorry, am I pushing too far-" I answered him by switching our positions. It was a lot harder than I thought, considering I caught him off guard, but he wasn't exactly a small guy. I straddled his hips, his legs dangling off the bed as he stared up at me with a dumbfounded expression; or as astonished as he could look. 

"Captain, as your second in command, I should be able to handle everything that you give me." He smiled, pressing his hand against my cheek. 

"Don't call me captain when we are like this. My name is Wakatoshi, and yours is Echo. Titles mean nothing here." He sat up, bringing out lips together and melting me into a pile of mush that made my toes curl. I felt something wet slid down my cheek, causing me to jerk away and touch my face. I was crying... but I wasn't sad. Wakatoshi frowned worriedly, wiping away the tear. "Is something wrong, Echo? Was it something I said?" I let out a sobbing laugh and kissed him.

"No, you said the right thing. You are perfect." He was confused for another moment before he relaxed back into the kiss. I kissed him harder, laughing like a woman possessed before he rolled both of us on the bed entirely. 

"Echo, are you sure?" He asked again as his hand hovered over the waistband of my jeans. I closed my eyes to steady my breath and nodded. 

"Yes." my pants were gone in a second, his lips locked against my throat. I moaned, arching into him as my nails began digging into his pulsing forearms. His tongue danced across the soft flesh of my neck, leaving the tiniest of hickeys as his lips began to move lower. I could already feel how soaked I was, only getting worse when one of his fingers slipped past my lips and pressed gently at my entrance. Moaning, my eyes snapped open as he pressed his finger inside me. He pulled away, testing me as his finger gently stroke inside me. I was panting, lifting myself on my forearms to lock our eyes together. His eyes burned with a deep lust despite his expression not changing from his emotionless frown he always worse. The second his finger found my G spot, I was flat on my back again.

"Wakatoshi!" I groaned through clenched teeth, my eyes rolling as he added another finger. 

"Like that?" HE asked quietly, moving just a little faster and adding his thumb to my clit. I cried out, my body arching as arcs of electricity shot through my body and I almost sobbed. He didn't move his thumb, instead of focusing on gently stroking me as I grew tighter and tighter around my fingers. Every move he made sent a new wave of pleasure through my body, coaxing new cries of bliss from my lips. I clutched the sheets under me as I snapped my hips against his hand. 

"Wakatoshi... thumb... please." I could barely get the words out through my daze, but the second he started moving his thumb over my clit, I was done. I came, moaning his name mixed with expletives in as many languages as I could before I started riding my fall fro orgasm. Through my haze, I watched Wakatoshi moved to grab a condom from under his bed, putting it on with some difficulty before hovering over me. He kissed my forehead gently, pushing his hips against mine so I could feel him. 

"Are you... are you alright if I..." I looked up, seeing his cheeks tainted a deep red before I let out a breathy laugh. 

"Yes, you big goof. I said, I want you. That isn't going to change." I kissed him, "You are the sweetest person I've ever been with... I-" I caught my words. Those three words that I swore I would never use. He nodded in understanding, pressing himself inside slowly. The first fifteen centimeters were wondrous, but what came after made me almost scream in bliss. He filled me completely, stretching me out past what I thought I could reach in blissful agony. I would not be walking tomorrow if he ever decided to move. 

"Echo... fuck." I would have laughed if he hadn't started to snap his hips into mine. It was the first time I had ever heard him curse, and it was because of me. I tried to say his name, but all that came out was a strangled moan as I hooked my heels around his hips and pulled him in closer. I could feel him getting close after just a few seconds, whining as he slowed down to try and compose himself. 

"No, yet..." He breathed huskily in my ear, causing me to shiver. "I want you to cum with me, Echo. Be mine. Please?" I blinked in surprise and swallowed. He was panting, his cheeks flushed with heavily hooded eyes willed with desire. It felt as if all my organs were smashed together in my chest, my lungs struggling to work with my words catching in my throat. I nodded, unable to do anything else. I brought his finger down to my clit, trying to patiently teach him how to get a proper rhythm again. He started moving in time with my clit, the electricity shooting through my body. I whimpered, slowly whispering his name louder and louder until my mind went blank, and I was sent to a whole new world. I was distantly aware of Wakatoshi of following me seconds later, his body stiffening above me. He moaned my name, his body slowly relaxing atop me. I curled around him as I buried my face int he crook of his neck and took a deep breath of his musky scent. It was like he never left his farm, the smell of earth drifting through my nose and taking em to another place. He returned the favor, kissing the sensitive skin where he had marked before. We laid like that for a while before he pulled out and tossed the condom into the trash. He sat with one leg hanging off the edge, his other crossed and leaning against one arm. his fingers brushed away a few strands of hair from my eyes with the smallest of smiles. 

"You are a mess." I laughed, his tactless comments oddly endearing to me now. I sat up and kissed him sweetly. 

"One more?" I laughed, yelping when he tackled me to the bed and granted my request. 

__

"Oh, ho, ho! Look's like someone had a little bit too much fun last night..." Tendo teased me the next day when he noticed my bow-legged walk through the chow line. I flicked him off before I smirked.

"More fun than you, I bet." He snickered and then proceeded to give me rather detailed play by play of his nightly adventures with the woman he had taken to bed. I grimaced, trying to keep my legs from shaking as I sat down between Semi and the wall. Shirabu was face down on the table with a bottle of pills and water, his food untouched. Ohira seemed to be the one who had come out from the night unscathed, coaxing Goshiki to eat his breakfast. 

"Where is Ushijima?" Semi asked, all eyes turning to me. I glued my eyes to the table as the man appeared as if he had been summoned. 

"We will be returning to our regular watch rotation. Shirabu, the captain request that you check the crew. Semi and Ohira are on watch round first. Tendo and Echo are on the second rotation." He sat down next to me as if nothing had happened, but when his shirt shifter Tendo gasped. 

"Captain, are those hickeys I see? Have you been a naughty boy with..." Tendo's eyes widened when I pulled my collar down to reveal my own hickey's and raised my middle finger. Wakatoshi choked on his food, a blush creeping into his cheeks as he grabbed my hand to return my collar around my neck. "No fucking way! Semi, you owe me five hundred dollars!" 

"You were betting!" I yelled, leaping over the table to strangle the redhead before the captain grabbed my belt loop and slammed me back down into my seat. I blushed, finding him handle me so smoothly a slight turn on. Tendo grinned, waving the money under his nose as if they were a banquet of roses. He smirked and looked at me through narrowed eyes. 

"Of course, I was. They don't call me the Guess Monster for nothing.I'm banned from every racetrack in the world along with most legal and illegal casinos." I groaned, spending the rest of the breakfast being interrogated by the Captain's second in command. I worried about how the squad would react to the Captain and my hooking up, but they didn't seem to care much. Still, I made sure I worked extra hard to ensure that they wouldn't think I was taking advantage of the situation. 

The next week was a beautiful blur of watch duty, training, and sex with Wakatoshi. He was cautious not to make our relationship public. He would keep even the smallest touches to a minimum, but for the lack of attention he gave me during the day he made up for when we were behind closed doors. It was a complete one-eighty compared to Oikawa. Oikawa had been loud and flirty but childish and sort of apathetic when it came to our private life. Wakatoshi also loved listening talking to my dreams, preferring to listen to me rather than talk about himself. However, when I asked him about military history, his eyes got a strange light, and I resigned the next few hours as he went into great detail about combat strategies and training regiments. 

When we landed in Japan, our real work started. Wakatoshi became distracted by taking precautions to protect the client and his fiancee, often leaving me alone unless we were sleeping together. Japan was uneventful, and the journey to Canada was just as dull. I didn't mind, mostly because it gave me more time to be with Wakatoshi and the squad. Training quickly became a daily thing, Goshiki coming leaps, and bounds from where he was. On the last day before we pulled into port, Wakatoshi called for everyone to spar together. 

"Echo and Goshiki are up first." I smiled at the trainee, coming to see the kid as my little brother. The little Agent jumped up and ran to the sparring ring, lifting his fists in the air in a defensive position. 

"You are going down, Echo. I'm not going to lose this time." I smiled, waving for him to attack first. He did, jumping across the deck and aiming for an obvious knockout right out of the gate. I sidestepped, redirecting his punch, so he was flipped on his back. Before I could pin him, he wrapped his legs around my neck and flexed. I was trapped in his leg lock until I tapped his leg, laughing. 

"You got me this time." I laughed, rubbing my bruised shoulder as the trainee pumped his fist in the air excitedly. The captain, however, was not pleased. Oops, got caught going easy on the kid.

"Echo, come here." I obeyed, still smiling up at him as I folded my arms behind my beck. He glared down at me, his arms crossed over his chest. "Going easy on anyone does not help them to improve. A seedling cannot grow into a great oak unless it has fertile soil to grow from and challenges to weed out the weak." I dared to tap his nose and smirk teasingly. 

"Come on, it's our last day on the ship. The kid has earned at least one win." Wakatoshi scowled, both of us knowing how weak he was to my teasing. He sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. 

"You should not be so relaxed about training-" He was stopped in the middle of his reprimanding when alarms went off. "Battle stations! Earpieces in, now!" We were running a second later to our assigned positions. Goshiki and Shirabu went below decks to secure the Client and his guests. Tendo cheered and went to the aft of the ship to man the machine gun. Semi bolted to the engine room, taking up a position to keep us from going dead in the water. Ohira went to the bridge, working with the ships' captain and acting as a communication director. 

Wakatoshi and I stood on the main deck surrounded by crates and water barrels for cover. He threw open his gun safe he had brought out for this very situation, clicking his clip into his m9 and Springfield. I pulled my knives and shieth straps from the lockbox, strapping up in seconds before holding my hand out. 

"Hey, try not to get killed, ok?" I smiled when he grabbed my forearm and pulled me into a passionate kiss. 

"I would never allow such a thing to happen to either of us. Be careful, Echo." I nodded, hearing Tendo gagging on the mic. 

"Oh my god, you guys are gonna get off to this, aren't you?" He complained. I pressed my earpiece to speak to the pain in the ass. 

"No, that's just you, Satori Tendo." He snickered. 

"Hey, you're right, but hey." 

"Focus, Everyone." The captain growled, glaring at me for instigating Tendo. I blew him a kiss and listened to Ohira. 

"Oh shit, they are packing. This is a professional hit, from an arms dealer. We've currently got all systems focused on diverting the torpedos, but... they have four-speed boats. Approaching quickly to the rear-" The deck came alive with the sound of machine-gun fire as Tendo cackled in the mic. 

"Not anymore!" I raised my eyebrow, shrugging. Pain in the ass or not, Tendo sure was efficient. 

"The other two?" Semi asked, a long pause before Ohira responded. 

"Captain, Echo! Port and starboard now! Semi, five have cut a hole in your position. Goshiki, Shirabu, Semi needs help. Shit, there is a fifth one hanging back. I'll keep an eye on it." I saw it. Three men climbing up on the deck. One on portside with the other climbing up on the starboard, both wearing full-body suit armor with riot shields strapped to their back. They raised their submachine guns and fired at Wakatoshi and me. We rolled behind two large metal sheets and watched as the bullets began to pile against the wall. Our eyes met, and I nodded as Wakatoshi raised his gun. 

"Do not hesitate, Echo," I smirked, sheathing my knives and stepping to the edge of the metal shieth. 

"Yes, Captain." The second the rain of bullets stopped on the port side, I darted out. As I guessed, the target had been reloading and dropped his guard. Rookie mistake, one I was going to make sure he wouldn't live to regret. I saw the other two raise their guns out of the corner of my eye, but Wakatoshi provided the cover fire. I needed to tackle the first target to the ground. His shield and helmet went flying, falling into the water below as the wind started to pick up, and the boat started rocking slightly more violently. The guy under the helmet couldn't have been older than Goshiki, his close-cut bright blond hair with thin strips on either side of his head matched the tough guy expression on his face. 

"Fucking cunt!" He cursed, pulling out his knife and slashing at my throat. I rolled, glancing to my left to see Wakatoshi ripping the guns from his opponent's hands and tossing them overbroad. The look of intense concentration caused me to shiver and lick my lips. There was something about that raw power in seemed to radiate that sent every nerve in my body into overdrive. That second distraction gave my target enough time to get up and kick me in the chest.

I gasped, feeling my bones creak with the force of the blow as my back slammed into the railing and nearly flipping overboard. I barely had enough time to roll out of the way as he dove forward and slashed at my throat again. He glared down at me, his muscles flexing as he twisted to deliver another spin move. 

That knife! I had seen that knife before, I thought as my eyes widened in panic. 

"Wataktoshi!" I screamed, blocking his strike as I watched as Watatoshi received a heavy blow to his injured side. It wasn't quite healed, and the way his eyes widened in agony, I knew that whatever stitching had managed to form was open again. One of the targets had taken off his helmet to reveal his face. No...

Iwaizumi was kicking Wakatoshi in the chest and sent him stumbling further. Pure rage coursed through my veins and, for a moment, I was utterly frozen as my vision turned a blood-red haze. 

"Focus on your own fight, bitch!" My target roared, lifting his arm again to bring his knife down on my chest again. I caught his wrist, the blade nicking the front of my shirt to expose my bra without drawing blood. He paused when he noticed the look burning in my eyes. 

"Not. Right. Now." I grabbed the back of his neck and slammed his face down to my knee before throwing him against the pole. He was knocked out cold, and I ran at Iwaizumi as he raised his blade to cut Wakatoshi's head off. "Iwaizumi!" I screamed, seeing him raise his head in surprise. 

"Echo?" I tackled him to the ground, kicking away his knife and jumping back to Wakatoshi's side. My eyes narrowed as I crouched defensively at my captain's side. Both men scrambled to their feet, facing me as I stood between them with my guns pointed at both hearts. The distant sound of Tedno still firing at the other two boats was the only thing that could be heard in the heavy silence that settled between the three of us. 

"Echo, what are you doing?" Wakatoshi barked, raising his gun and aiming it at Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi returned the favor, but they stopped when I pulled back the hammers of my weapons as I glared at the ground. 

"Echo... what is this?" I could hear how badly Iwazumi was shaking just from his voice, each word like a bullet in my brain. 

"Izumi, just walk away. Whatever you want from this ship, you aren't going to get it. I-I don't want to hurt you." Wakatoshi stiffened in confusion. 

"Iwaizumi... Oikawa's partner, right?" I gritted my teeth as pieces started connecting in the captain's mind. 

"Echo, why are you with this asshole? Where did you go? You disappeared without a trace. We thought you were fucking dead!" I winced as he screamed, falling to my knee as tears streamed down my cheeks. I couldn't look at either one of them. Not right now. 

"I-I was ordered by the Director. He made me a fucking Ghost for this mission. I tried to tell you, but I couldn't get into contact-"

"You don't get to be upset, Echo! Do you have any idea what you did to Oikawa-" My head snapped up, and I pointed both my guns at the arms dealer. My eyes were a blur of tears as a wave of emotions washed over me. I saw all the memories in Africa come rushing back like a tidal wave; the good, the bad, and especially the ugly. The nights getting drunk together, bailing one another out, fighting over stupid things when life went to hell. The three of us, a messed-up family with no one to lean on but each other. To see someone I considered a brother look at me with utter betrayal made me want to shoot myself in the heart. It hurt so bad...

"Stop it! It wasn't as if he even tried to wait, moving on to a new girl before my body would have gone cold. He barely waited, and I remained faithful until I saw the twentieth girl he had taken to bed. Tell me, Iwaizumi, does that sound like someone who just lost someone they loved?" Iwaizumi was taken aback, lowering his gun as a look of agony crossed his face. I heard Wakatoshi's hammer click back, and I turned my gun to face him. 

"Stop it, Wakatoshi! I just need to talk for just a second." His expression had become an unreadable mask, but he uncocked his gun and let it fall limply to his side. The captain's cold detachment hurt just as much as Iwaizumi's look of betrayal. 

"Echo... whats going on?" I heard Ohira call over my earpiece, forcing me to be ripe it out of my ear and crush it under my boot. My mind couldn't handle disappointing anyone else at the moment. I turned back to Iwaizumi, stepping forward until he gripped his gun and set his jaw. I stopped, swallowing the tears that threatened to drown me.

"A week. I was missing for a week." I breathed, begging silently for him to understand. "I never meant to be gone long-"

"But you were. Oikawa did not sleep for days, trying to find you and begged me to help him. I called in almost every favor I could, but you... You were with him." He sneered at the word him, jerking his chin at Ushijima. 

"Because it was a fucking mission."

"You two seem closer than just mission partners to me, Echo. Care to explain that?" I flinched as if he had hit me, "Actually, fucking don't. You can tell Oikawa yourself." He crossed his arms over his chest and jerked his chin to Ushijima again. I whipped around, my eyes widening as Oikawa jumped and kicked Ushijma in the back of the head and sent the giant falling to his knees. Oikawa pressed a gun to the back of my captain's head, his eyes alive with rage as Ushijima raised himself onto all fours as his head touched the barrel of the gun in Oikawa's hand. 

"When will you be satisfied, you bastard Ushiwaka? Take the crown, the favoritism, the tribute, and now the woman I love? Why don't you take my life as well?" Oikawa's hand was shaking in rage, his eyes bright with murderous intent. Ushijima lifted his head, so our eyes met for just an instant. Cold anger burned deep with them; I became swallowed by it until my knees almost buckled. He was terrifying, and that hatred was not just directed at our target. 

He hated me.

"That is a request I will gladly grant." Everything was over in a second. Oikawa's finger jerked against the trigger as Ushijima ducked, rolling, so he kicked the gun from Oikawa's hand. I twisted around and batted Iwaizumi's gun away from Ushijima, grabbing him by the throat and throwing him back against the ground. He grabbed my throat, ripping me, so his chest pressed against my back, and his gun was pressed under my chin. Ushijima turned to face us, Oikawa caught in the crook of the captain's elbow with the giant's hand gripping his chin. One move and Oikawa would be dead in a second. We all froze, a stalemate reached in a heartbeat. 

"Do it." Oikawa choked, struggling against the titan like the arm of Ushijima. 

"No!" Iwaizumi yelled at the same time I cried and jerked against his hold. 

"Wakatoshi, stop! Don't hurt him!" I begged, tears flowing freely down my cheeks. I watched as conflict flashed behind the giant's eyes as his muscle began to tighten around Oikawa's throat. "Please, I'm begging you!"

"I swear to fucking God, I'll shoot her! Let Oikawa go now!" Iwaizumi screamed, his arm tightening around my throat enough to cut off my head's blood flow. I really started to struggle now, seeing Oikawa's face begin to turn blue. His eyes flickered to stay open, his eyes locked on mine. 

"I'm so sorry..." I mouthed, my vision darkening into unconsiousness. The last thing I saw was Oikawa glare as he was being choked to death, Ushijima's hate fulled eyes burning into my own. 

__

"Wakey, wakey, little bitch. Hello, anyone home?" I felt a cold liquid splashed onto my face, causing me to jerk awake. I sat up, banging my head on top of what looked like a cage. I groaned and waited for my vision to clear before taking another look around. I was in a cage, hanging in the bridge behind the boiler room, the cage barely big enough for me to kneel or stretch out. There was only a flickering light with the creaking and rocking of the ship, the only sound to give me an idea of where I was. My throat was killing me...

"Oh, you finally wake up. I was afraid I would have to poke you with a stick or something." Tendo appeared in my field of vision, his eyes glinting with insane light. "You have certainly been a naughty girl, Echo. Seducing two captains that hate each other's gut and then have them fight for their right to love you. Indeed a Shakespearean tragedy when neither one of them wanted you in the end."

"Are they both alive?" I rasped, propping myself up on my elbow. I could accept my fate if they were. I had no idea what I would do if I got one of them killed. Tendo tapped his chin and tilted his head up to the ceiling. 

"Well, after you passed out, I took a little gamble and picked up the kid you knocked out and made my presence known. Apparently, they really wanted the kid, and then The Director called. He called Ushiwaka to stand down fro killing Oikawa, which the playboy didn't like too much. It got a little tense when that spiky black haired guy jumped in, and I had to get my hands dirty. In the end, Oikawa and his merry band of fuck ups got away." I nodded, letting out a sigh of relief before noticing his expression. 

"There is another reason why I'm in here, isn't there." Tendo tapped his nose, winking at me. 

"Right, you are. You see, before the Director could break up the little fight, Goshiki ran between the Captain and Ushijima. The poor boy got shot in the lung and is fighting for his life. You should know that we now see the reason you are here, you little whore." I blinked, recognizing the paper between Tendo's fingertips. Taking my silence as complacency, he tossed the letter from The Director. I swallowed, watching as it fluttered to a stop millimeters from my fingers inside the cage. 

"You really are something else, Echo. Stealing the captain's heart before you stab it to death. You are one cold bitch." I was so shocked I couldn't respond. He never gave me a chance, turning on his heel and stepping out of the cage. I opened the letter, my eyes widening in rage as I read the words. It was a written contract between Ukia and me that if I managed to make Ushijima's death look like either an accident or a job hazard, I would be given his team and take over the Company singlehandedly. 

"This isn't true..." Someone had set me up. I started banging on the cage wall, screaming for Ushijima to explain everything. I cried and begged, thrashing like a caged animal before I evaluated how I could escape. They had stripped me of anything useful and left me with only a slip of paper and my clothes hanging in the center of a metal cell in the locked heart of the ship. 

I stared at the metal wall for an unknowable amount of time, my throat growing thick and dry. I wondered if the squad would leave me here to die. I would imagine that Ushijima has killed for less. Treachery may be shared in this line of work, but when an Agent made it personal... the word humane goes out the window. 

After what felt like weeks, Ohira was the first person to visit me. I was too weak to even move, my brain feeling as if I saw the world through a haze. My mouth was too dry to even speak as Ohira brought a glass of water to my lips. As much as I craved it, I turned my head away. 

"Don't go out like this, Echo. You deserve a better death." I snorted, looking back at him before taking a sip enough to speak. 

"Either way, I'm dead. At least this way, Ushijima can say he got whatever revenge he thinks he wanted." His frown deepened, and he brought the glass to my lips again. 

"What are you talking about? You betrayed him, planned to kill him-"

"You honestly think I would be so cruel as to first break his heart?" I snapped, spitting in his face. "I came here because I was ordered by Ukia. Falling for Wakatoshi was all my choice. Whoever wrote that note is the real person who wants us dead." 

"Are you saying one of us is a traitor? Trying to save your own ass-" My hand shot out and grabbed his collar weakly, pulling him forward so he could look deep in my eyes. 

"I would never lie if it meant saving Wakatoshi's life. Someone is lying, and it isn't me." he jerked away, walking quickly out the door and left me with my thoughts. I closed my eyes, trying to think of who the traitor was. 

I dreamed of being in the cage, the light flickering even dimly as a figure leaned against the wall. The stranger's silhouette made their form completely unrecognizable. I was distantly aware of them talking, something about how I was int he way. That I was only holding his plans back, but he couldn't kill me yet. How he should have taken care of Ushijima by now. They went on and on with their hatred before I drifted away again. When I woke again, Ushijima was standing with Tendo on the other side of my cage. He looked like he had bulked up, his muscles even more defined, and his expression more intense than I had ever seen it. I forced my voice to work, feeling thick rivulets of blood dripping from my cracked lips. 

"Toshi..." I breathed. They both turned and looked at me with varying looks of surprise. Ushijima looked like he was trying to choose between hatred or guilt as he looked at my starved and dehydrated body in the cage. I wanted to hate him too, but I also knew that he was only doing this because he thought I betrayed him. "The note... not real."

"Yeah, Ohira told us. Some traitors in our midst. So we came to ask you a crucial question." Tendo snapped, wrapping his fingers around the bars of my cage to stick his face centimeters from my own. "If not you, who done it?" I didn't have an answer, and they seemed to have predicted this. 

"Goshiki will live, but he will be demoted to Representative for the rest of his life. Semi is also in a coma, and we do not know when he will wake up." Ushijima rumbled, the look in his eyes matching the accusatory tone of his voice. He blamed me for everything. I couldn't blame him. Wait.

"Semi... below deck?" If Oikawa and Iwaizumi had been above deck and Tendo hadn't let anyone up from the sea... My mind worked on overdrive as I tried to piece together. "Ushijima, your father-"

"Do not use him in your lies." His palm slammed against the cage, rattling it painfully and causing me to groan. 

"No, think! Who wanted your father dead? Who profits if you live or die?" I forced myself on my elbows and glared as harshly as I could. "I never knew your father, and you know I hate the Company. Who knew your father and now knows you. Who would be threatened by you if they could take out your father so easily?" He was quiet for a long time before he slammed his palm against the cage and stormed out. Tendo watched, his gears turning as loudly as mine had. His eyes met mine as something clicked. 

"Echo, if you are wrong... I will make you beg for death." I smiled, blood dripping from my lips as I let my body fall against the floor of the cage. 

"As long as he survives this, I don't care if I die anymore. I did that the second I stepped onto that deck." Darkness took me, and I fell into a restless sleep. I had nightmares this time. I was endlessly tormented from the hateful look from Oikawa and Iwaizumi to the fires in the village. The waking world was just as hellish as my body starved, and I was dying of dehydration. Once when I couldn't tell if I was awake or asleep, I dreamed of the stranger. This time, I could see it was the Demon Captain. He was bleeding, and sirens were blaring around me. He was spitting and cursing, choking me inside the cage. I couldn't fight back, so I was reduced to watching him with a small half-smile. Of course, the traitor...

____

"Hey, Director. She's waking up." A voice brought me from the darkness of sleep. I groaned before opening my eyes to a white room in a hospital bed in a gown with beeping machines and tubes coming from various parts of my body. My eyes locked on a smoking cigarette under the head of the blond hair tied back in a headband through the haze. 

"Bastard..." I rasped, sitting up and straining against my atrophied muscles. Ukia smirked, patting the end of my bed in satisfaction.

"Good to see you are still with us. What do you remember?" I shrugged, glancing nervously over at his secretary, a nerdy-looking man in a green jacket with thin wire glasses. 

"Almost dying. I'm guessing you knew that the Demon Captain was the one who was trying to kill Ushijima?" I laughed bitterly, watching the IV drip fluids into my arm. Ukia nodded, blowing a thin stream of smoke drifting from his lips. 

"I knew I could trust you to handle the situation." I blinked. 

"You knew? You fucking knew, and you didn't tell me-"'

"Understand, Echo." Ukai's secretary interrupted, placing his hand on my own. I jerked back, and he mumbled an apology before explaining himself. Ukia had called me to the mission because he trusted my adaptability and my impressive skill as an Agent. He hoped that my ability would threaten the Demon Captain that he would outright try to eliminate me, forcing Ushijima to take over the ship and move to Ukai's second in command. He didn't anticipate Ushijima, and I would be a distraction to one another. He had gotten nervous when we had utterly cut contact after Japan and sent Oikawa and Iwaizumi under cover of an armory raid. When Oikawa and Iwaizumi returned without me, and the Demon Captain started acting suspicious, Ukai explained the situation to Oikawa. 

"He rushed back to raid the compound, managing to beat Ushijima down enough to free you. They killed Washijō before he could kill you and brought you here. You've been in a medically induced coma for about a week now."

"So now that you fucked me over in every sense of the word, I think I've earned the right to be open about my fucking love life. Where is Oikawa-"

"On a mission with Iwaizumi. Due to their sudden relocation, we had a deal fall through that is forcing them to deal with an upstart that jacked our guns." Ukai lit another cigarette as he continued. "Ushijima is recovering along with his team back in Japan. Goshiki is currently being reinstated as an Agent, and Semi is awake but is suffering from extreme memory loss. As for Daichi, he's in a deep undercover long-term mission that I can't tell you about. I hope you don't expect anything from that old flame." I slumped in my bed, feeling as if I hadn't spent the last week in a coma. Everything had worked out, but at the same time, it felt like my world was still imploding. I tapped the button for the morphine, wishing the numbness would expand to my heart. Ukai watched me in silence before a heavy sigh escaped his lips, along with a thick cloud of smoke. 

"I'll work around getting you to call them. You've got a week's bed rest before you go to your next mission." I nodded, waiting until the two men left before dosing myself to oblivion. I didn't want to be awake if I wasn't talking to Ushijima. 

I woke up to a phone in my lap with a note from Takeda, Ukai's assistant. The phone already had a voicemail from Ushijima, and Oikawa wasn't going to be able to talk for a while. The phone was mine when I could chat, the number saved in all three men's phones. 

"What, am I my own pimp or something?" I laughed bitterly before I opened my new phone and answered the voicemail. The first voicemail was just him shuffling, Tendo's words of encouragement muffled in the background. The second was him mumbling about how he wanted to say so much but couldn't. The third broke my heart. 

"Echo, I'm sorry. There is nothing else to say other than I love you. I hope one day you can forgive me. You would make a great wife and mother someday. Bye..." The farewell was awkward, as if he wanted to say more but couldn't put them into words. I buried my face in my hands when my phone buzzed to life. 

"Tooru, thank god-" I started but was quickly cut off with the static from the other end. 

"Don't have long..." His voice crackled, and I heard distant gunfire. "I'm sorry I made you think I wasn't morning you properly. I was angry that you left without a word, and I was an idiot. Shut up, Iwa-chan! Anyway, I can't forgive you for hooking up and falling in love with Ushiwaka. I could forgive you for anyone else, but not him. It's over. Goodbye." The message was hard to decipher through the static, but the message was clear. Two men I loved were gone, and I could only blame myself. 

"Fuck... when will you learn, Echo?" I dropped the phone on the bed before snapping the tubs and monitors from my body and began walking out the door, phone in hand. Fuck love. Fuck this life. I wasn't going to let myself be weak ever again. 

I still had one promise left I could keep.

______  
The emotional rollercoaster writing this is leaving me breathless. It all comes together. I know it's unfair to make Ushijima's coach the bad guy but I couldn't help it. I also couldn't help but keep the rivalry between Ushijima and Oikawa because there is so much to work within that dynamic. Ukai is also a mastermind who's plots and schemes only thicken as the story goes on. Anyway, next is a fan favorite, the Sexy Scheming Captain Kuroo. As always, please leave a comment if you see an issue or are confused or just enjoy the story as a whole. Thank you for reading.


	6. Tetsuro Kuroo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Scheming Captain and the first Female Medic Captain; a match made in heaven or a deadly volatile alliance? Either way who could predict what is to come?

"Oya, you are the medic Captain joining the squad, huh?" A voice purred as I stepped out into the icy rain of my hotel's back alley. I froze, the alley door closing to reveal a tall man with jet black hair covering half his face in thick, spiky bangs. He wore a blood-red button-up under an ebony jacket and slacks. A damp cigarette hung loosely from his lips, its burning ember illuminating his catlike features. The inner city glow of Hong Kong's night illuminated body of a special forces agent lying dead at my feet. The blood from the single gunshot to the back of the man's head ooze out in thick red rivers to flow down the drain in the distance. I relaxed my shoulders before pulling out my own cigarette, lighting the sin stick quickly before bothering to respond. My dark blue dress contrasted sharply against my newest companion, my black shawl fluttering absentmindedly around my shoulders. 

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this kind of meeting, Captain Kuroo?" I matched his cocky standoffish energy, looking up at him through my eyelashes. He shot me an approving nod before his grin disappeared. He pushed off the wall and pressed the heel of his shoe into the body's shoulder with the slightest look of disgust ghosting across his features. I saw another figure creep from the shadows, just as tall as Kuroo and clutching his arm as blood seeped through the thick fabric of his jacket. His blond hair and thick glasses gave him a sort of cleaner kind of aura, but from his age, I could guess he was just a trainee who got a warning bite of the job. 

"We had to wait too long for a medic and got pinned down by these guys. We took care of most of the cell last night, but this guy was waiting to take you out before we could meet properly. No need to thank us." He looked back over his shoulder and flashed a smug grin. I nodded to the wounded kid. 

"You got something to take care of that?" The blond huffed and rolled his eyes. 

"No, I just like bleeding out for fun. It's not like we need a doctor or anything." Kuroo's grin disappeared, and he turned to me.

"Tsuki's been bleeding since yesterday. We got supplies waiting with a few others on the squad needing more help. You coming?" I shrugged. 

"You really think I would be here if I wasn't?" Kuroo's grin widened as an almost predatory look glinted behind his eyes. I rolled my own, following the two men to the large black van at the end of the alley. 

__

My first night among the squad was not the night I expected to have. Meeting the other members had been mostly uneventful, considering they all stood out equally but for different reasons. Lev with his silvery-white hair and height, Yaku for his short stature and warm personality, Kai for his abnormally laid back attitude, Kenma for his anti-social nature, Yamamoto for his haircut and inability to form complete sentences when speaking to me, and Inuoka for his blindingly happy personality. They all seemed to show interest in my arrival for five minutes before losing interest and wandering about the bunker. 

The bunker itself was more like an underground house with multiple floors, unlike the usual bases I've holed up in. The wall was all cement, but the floors were either polished marble or carpet; the living area looking more like a typical Chinese living room than a military installation. The kitchen was the size of an industrial soup kitchen but instead had three separate areas for cooking. The living room was en entire entry floor with seven large couches, three or four chairs, a bar tucked away in the far corner, and several flat-screen TVs. After living on a ship and being trapped in a cage, this much space was a shock. 

After settling into my own room for the first time, I felt trapped. My skin itched as if I had dozens of pins and needles crawling across my skin every second I was in that room. The cold walls reminded me of the cage. Despite being in Hong Kong, away from the ocean, ship, and Ushijima, I still felt how dry my mouth had been in that tiny room. I opted to sleep in the living room for the safety of the space but quickly learned that sleep would soon become a luxury. 

"Kuroo, get off the VR. You said you only wanted it for a fucking minute." Kenma hissed, climbing up the lanky captain as if the man were nothing more than a child's jungle tree. Kuroo had changed out of his suit and into an oversized black v neck with saggy dark blue sweatpants. I couldn't help but stare at the complete one-eighty to his persona. From a suited devilish Agent to a broke college student with a bad case of perpetual bedhead with just a simple change of clothes.

"Oya! Kenma! you are gonna make me lose against the dumb owl-hey!" Kenma latched onto Kuroo's shoulders and began ripping the headset off, Kuroo stumbling around the living room in an attempt to keep the two men upright. 

"Knock it off, both of you! You are disturbing Echo!" Yaku yelled, rushing over and attempting to separate the two wrestling men. Lev was on the opposite couch, cuddling up with two kittens and a large Maine coon his head. 

"Hey, you wanna see what Socks can do?" Lev asked excitedly, squishing the Maine Coon's face until its tongue stuck out of its puffy gathering of fur. Lev beamed when I offered a smile, introducing the black and white Maine Coon as Socks. He then introduced me to the kittens, Black and Shiro. Apparently, having more than one Kuroo in the bunker was too much for Yaku and Kenma. 

"Makes sense. Tsukishima, stop squirming." I scolded. The blond huffed but kept his arm still as he pushed up his glasses. Tadashi, the youngest in the bunker, sat on the stool behind me and watched as I removed the bullet from Tsuki's arm.

"Hell yeah! Pillow fight!" Yamamoto yelled, totally misinterpreting the situation when Kenma threw a pillow at Kuroo's face. I ducked as a pillow whizzed by my face, seeing Inuoka rubbing the back of his head as he laughed. 

"Oops! My bad." He laughed before Yamamoto hit him squarely in the face with a couch pillow. Lev jumped from his spot on the couch, joining the rambunctious group as Kuroo began amassing pillows with Kenma. Kai somehow got swept up in the excitement and joined Yamamoto's team, just going with the flow of the squads' chaos. 

"They make me wish I got my eyes shot out instead of my arm," Tsuki grumbled, wincing as I pulled the string in his stitch. We were at the bar to patch up the bullet hole. He insisted I could wait until I had proper cleaning supplies before I stitched him up. A decision he appeared to regret based on how fast the bottle of baijiu was being drained down the blond's throat. 

"They certainly have the energy to spare," I commented, wiping away a bit of blood that dripped from the wound. The bullet hadn't been laced with anything and had missed all the major arteries and bone. It would just take a while to heal. "Do you know what this stitch is called, Tadashi?" I asked my trainee, leaning back so the kid could see. Tadashi leaned over my shoulder, his face a little greener as Tsuki's muscles flexed in pain. 

"A-A blanket?" He groaned out, pushing his hand over his mouth to keep his stomach inside. I frowned at his weak stomach but nodded. 

"Good guess. It's a lock stitch." I leaned back, holding out the bloody needle. "You try."

"Hell no." Tsuki and Tadashi both snapped, my trainee jumping back as if I held a venomous snake in my fingertips. I sighed and pressed the needle into Tadashi's hand.

"You need to learn. Best to learn in this environment than when Tsuki's bleeding out in the middle of a desert firefight." I pointed out. The two trainees grumbled, allowing me to switch places with Tadashi. I caught a pillow projected to smash into Tsuki's arm. 

"Oh fuck, I'm sorry-" Inuoka yelp before everyone noticed my glare. I pushed out my aura of command and barked a single order. 

"Sit down and knock it the fuck off!" My voice echoed inside the bunker. All the men instantly froze in what they were doing and sat down. Kuroo straddled the arm of one of the couches while Yaku laid on his back, clutching the pillow he had intended to throw. Kenma huddled behind his gaming chair, his hoodie closed to hide his face as his knees curled against his chest. Yamamoto had sat bolt upright with his back facing me, two pillows lying forgotten at his side. Kai seemed the most surprised by my outburst but also the most understanding. He placed his pillow properly on the couch before walking over to his book he had been reading. Lev was likely the most horrified and scarred by my outburst. His face was slack with terror, and he was visibly shaking, sitting directly on the cement floor. He bit his lip as if trying not to cry out in pain. 

"Busted." Tadashi joked, the two trainees snickering at the new completely docile squad nearly at my feet. I glared back at the two boys. 

"Tadashi, why aren't you practicing your stitching? Tsuki, would you like me to remind you why you should not piss off your medic?" Tadashi gulped as Tsuki's tched. They each returned to their task, Tsuki trying not to show how much Tadashi's unskilled movements hurt. 

"Dr. Buzzkill over here..." I heard Kuroo mutter, the rest of the squad slowly breaking free of my commanding spell. My eyes snapped to him as he placed his pillow on the couch and went to side beside Kenma. 

"I"m sorry if I didn't want your trainee to be hurt because of your irresponsible antics." I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest and ignoring the blood still on my hands as it smeared over my arms. Kuroo frowned. 

"I knew you wouldn't have let that happen." I stared at him open mouth as he turned back to his gaming system, pulling on the headset. "Oya, Bokuto. Yeah, Kenma ripped off the headset, and a pillow fight broke out. Oh, the chick? Yeah, that's our new medic. Is she hot?" Kuroo lifted up his VR, looking me up and down before grinning. "I dunno, she could be if you like'em short and mouthy-" I drilled the pillow into his nose, sending him sprawling back over the end of the couch and landing heavily on the other side. 

"You are such a jerk, Kuroo." Kenma sighed, picking up the headset and logging in himself while Kuroo regained his bearings. 

"Sorry, Echo. I guess we got a little out of hand." Inuoka apologized, his eyes glued on the ground, along with Yamamoto. They both bowed in apology, but I waved them off. 

"You guys listened, so no harm done. Not how I wanted to make my first impression, honestly." Yamamoto nodded and opened his mouth to speak. The second I looked at him, he blushed, closing his mouth and rubbing the back of his head. Why was Yamamoto so shy around me? From what Kuroo and Tsuki told me of him, he was the loudest, most outgoing member of the team who specialized in explosives. 

"Fuck!" Tsuki yelled. I turned around, seeing the needle Tadashi had been using sticking out of his arm like a pin cushion.

"I'm sorry, Tsuki!"Tadashi yelped, trying to pull it out. 

"Stop! It's on a nerve!" I yelled, hurrying to save the two lost trainees. Calming Tadashi down was the hardest part of the entire surgery because he was doing a mix of crying and throwing up at Tsuki's stitches reopening. I was able to save Tsuki's arm function, but he still felt the tingling numbness that came from hitting that particular nerve. It was almost three in the morning when I was able to wash up in my bathroom. I didn't bother looking at myself in the mirror because I knew the woman looking back at me was not going to be pretty. 

Despite being almost twenty-one, I looked as if I were over forty. Bags under my eyes, a skinny frame still recovering from the weeks of starvation and dehydration. My body a patchwork of scars that wove together like a tapestry of memories. My hand ghosted along with each one. The scar I received from Daichi during one of our knife sparring lessons. The long wide scar from my wrist to my shoulder from when the village burned with Oikawa. My emaciated frame from Ushijima. 

"Love hurts." I laughed to myself, pulling on a long sleeves shirt and pants before sulking out into the middle of the common room. The only ones left were Kuroo and Kenma playing videogames with only a few of the kitchen lights to help navigate the maze of furniture. I laid out on an amalgamation of pillows and blankets, trying not to think of how much it reminded me of the times Oikawa would borrow Iwaizumi and my own sheets to make his bedroll just a little softer. It was hard to hate the memory when Oikawa would offer for me to join him to cuddle. 

"The bed too comfortable or something, there, Captain?" Kuroo's voice came from the other side o the couch. I froze, realizing that while I was facing the doorway directly, I put my back to the sofa where Kuroo sat. I huffed and pulled my blankets over my shoulders. 

"Something like that," I muttered. I was drifting off to the sound of the clicking of keys and controllers, trying to keep my eyes locked on the door. If that door stayed closed, I wouldn't have any nightmares. The Red Door would have opened without a doubt if I had stayed in the bedroom, and I was already exhausted. 

"Let her sleep Kuroo." Kenma scolded, the clicking of the computer getting steadily louder. 

"Hey, isn't it past your bedtime, Kenma?" Kuroo snapped back, "Bokuto, Akaashi is calling. Yeah, I can hear him in the background. New trainee? Yeah, I remember Hinata. The kid can run forever and jump like a motherfucker- Ow! Kenma! Why did you hit me."

"Because you are loud and annoying," Kenma muttered, shifting on the couch. I fell asleep to the familiar-sounding bickering of the captain and his squadmate. It was like listening to Iwaizumi and Oikawa bicker back in Africa...  
___

I woke a few hours later from a nightmare. I would never get used to seeing Ushijima over Oikawa's dead body, even when I begged him to stop. It wasn't Wakatoshi that had killed Oikawa in the dream, it was the Captain of the Eagles and the man who would one day take over the Company. He may have worn Wakatoshi's face, but his eyes in my nightmare were far too cold to ever be my Wakatoshi; the socially awkward and clumsy farm boy who wanted to one day settle down and raise a family. 

"Hey there, sleepyhead. You ok?" I looked up at Kuroo, who rested his chin on the back of the couch with his hair even more disheveled and pressed up along his face. He was rubbing his eye while he yawned the words out. I threw off my blankets and jumped to my feet. 

"Fine." I barked back, feeling on edge from the nightmare. I hurried to the kitchen, trying to keep my breast covered with my black tank top slipping like I was covered in oil. My feet padded softly along the carpet before sticking onto the tile of the kitchen, making disturbing fleshy sounds as I made my way to the fridge. I needed water. 

"Good morning to you, too, then..." Kuroo yawned, following me into the kitchen with his back hunched, eyes closed, s trail of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth as he scratched his arm absentmindedly. "Coffee..." He mumbled, reaching an arm over my head and plucking the grounds I had been going for nearly out of my hands. I glared at him before I reached for the pack of cigarettes on the counter. 

"Just what I wanted for breakfast. Cancer with a side of smoke breath," Tsuki grumbled, fixing his skewed glasses as he stumbled his way onto the kitchen dragging Tadashi. The smaller trainee slumped to the floor, still clutching his pillow, going right back to sleep the moment Tsuki dropped him next to the counter. They were dressed in just boxers and large t-shirts; Tsuki had a dinosaur on the front and Tadashi wearing a bright pink shirt. I lit my cigarette and held one out to him. 

"Want one or not?" I grumbled, taking a long pull from the cancer stick and tapping the ashes into a small ashtray. Grimacing, he took one, letting me light it before drawing back his attention to the sleeping Tadashi. I got out the eggs and some bread for toast while Kuroo grumbled through messily making coffee. "Why are you putting salt in your coffee?" 

"It lowers the adicity to protect your stomach lining. Also, it keeps it from tasting too bitter because salt interrupts your brain transduction for the bitterness in foods." He explained half asleep. "Which is why I wonder why Four-Eye's adds sugar and creamer to his coffee because all he is is salt." Tsuki lifted his middle finger at his trainer.

"Whatever. Let's take a look at the arm." I grumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I inspected the stitching and instructed Tadashi to wrap it up. When the kid didn't move, I gently kicked him. He rolled over on the floor, curling himself around the pillow in his arms. Tsuki snickered. 

"Guess I can always just lose my arm instead." Tsuki sighed. 

"Tsuki, don't you dare say shit like that." Tadashi was up in a second, glaring at his training partner. I raised my eyebrow before glancing at Kuroo. The black-haired captain smirked, making a fist in front of his mouth, motioning 'giving a blow job' in a not so subtle push of his tongue against his cheek. I made and 'ah' expression in return before turning back to the two trainees. 

"Now that you two are awake, I want you both to show me what you got." I took a long pull of my cigarette before putting it out on the ashtray. 

"Now?" All three men gasped, looking as if I asked them to eat cyanide. I glared at the other captain.

"Yes, now. Why are you objecting, Kuroo? You aren't even a part of this." Kuroo composed himself, plucking the toast from the toaster with long, delicate fingers. 

"I dunno." He admitted, earning angry glares of outrage from his trainees. I rolled my eyes and looked over at Kenma.

"Kenma? Did you sleep at all?" The little hacker looked back at me under his mound of blankets with two shining catlike orbs. He had a single chocolate bar in his mouth with an energy drink in his hand that was halfway to his lips. Kuroo looked up, wide awake.

"Kenma! I told you not to drink those and go to bed!" Kenma made a soft hissing sound like a cat before hurridly turning back to his game and burying himself deeper in his blankets. "Oh no! You are going to bed." Kuroo snapped, stomping over to the hacker and trying to wrestle him from his cocoon of covers. I looked at Tadashi and Tsuki, my eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Can I at least have breakfast?" Tsuki grumbled.

"You want to see it here in two hours?" I asked honestly, making Tadashi gulp. 

"I'm just a sniper..." I smirked, placing my hand on my hip.

"Which means you need to be the strongest because you work solo. What's your specialty, Four-eyes?" Tsuki pushed up his glasses with his middle finger. 

"Communication, infiltration, and not killing my squadmates." My eyes narrowed, and I leaned over the counter. 

"I'm only going to say this once, Tsukishima Kei. You ever joke about killing or not killing your squadmates, and I'll show how not funny that little joke is." Tadashi gulped, shrinking back against Tsuki as his eyes widened. I smirked coldly before slapping the marble counter. "So, ready to get this over with?" 

"Got you!" Kuroo yelled in triumph, holding Kenma up as if he were a cat. Kenma was curled up into himself, glaring at me as if his current situation was my fault. I smiled apologetically, motioning for Tsuki and Tadashi to go change. 

____

"Just kill me and get it over with..." Tsuki panted, laying on the ground, drenched with sweat and a mask of pure suffering on his face. Tadashi was next to him on the training room floor, twitching in pain. They both had chosen to go shirtless and wear comfortable workout pants. 

"You two have only been sparring for three hours against one girl. You wanna become full-blown Agent's or not?" I sighed, bouncing on the balls of my feet on the tatami mat. My long hair was tied back into a high ponytail that ended in a braid, my tight compression shirt was drenched with sweat, and my protective gear was almost slimy with the liquid. The two boys looked at each other before Tadashi reluctantly got to his feet. He got into his defensive position, looking nervously down at Tsuki. "Oi, blonde. You going to get up?" Tsuki tched and rolled to his feet to grab a towel. 

"I don't see the point in sparring with a midget. It's not like we are gonna face an army of goblins when we work." My eyebrow twitched, but I tried to not let his comment bother me. 

"Funny because if a midget can kick your ass, then you have no chance against a real man, right?" Tsuki pushed up his glasses and lifted his chin. 

"I just don't like wasting my time on training with a so-called captain who hasn't earned her rank." 

"Tsukishima-" Tadashi yelled, his face going sheet white. My vision blurred in rage, and my body moved before I could fully comprehend my actions. Before I could reach the mouthy brat, Kuroo step between us, his hand at the meeting of my shoulder and neck while the other was at my hip. 

"Echo, back off. He's a loud-mouthed kid that just needs to be taught a lesson, not killed." Kuroo said in a low tone. My body was shaking in rage, and I almost lashed out at Kuroo. Instead, I took a deep breath and turned to Tadashi. 

"Do you think you can show me your skills with a sniper?" I said slowly in an attempt to keep calm. Tadashi nodded, hurrying out of the training room while Kuroo turned to his trainee. 

"You sure seem confident for a guy who keeps getting his ass kicked. Rather spar with me?" Kuroo grinned, puffing up his chest. Tsuki tched again before taking a long drink of water from his water bottle.

"I think I'm done with training for today. I'm hungry." Tsuki made a move to step around Kuroo, but the captain shot out his arm and blocked his path. 

"You gonna run your mouth like that and not back it up? I didn't know that being be a little bitch ran in the family." I frowned in confusion until I remembered where I recognized Tsukishima's name. His elder brother was indebted to the Company that I had run into on Ushijima's ship. Tsuki snapped, his fist flying directly at Kuroo's face. Kuroo dodged easily, getting inside Tsukishima's defenses and pinning him to the wall by his throat. Tsuki grimaced in pain, grabbing the captain's wrist and attempting to free himself. Kuroo, however, was not having it. 

"Maybe if you actually stop seeing everyone else as your pathetic brother, you would get a lot farther in this life. If you had not been under me and been a full blow Agent, you wouldn't be breathing right now." He leaned closer and whispered something in Tsuki's ear that I couldn't hear. Tsuki's face went bright red with rage before he calmed himself. His eyes turned to me. 

"Forgive... me." He choked out those words as if they were physical obstructions to his very being. I nodded and left without a word in response. Tadashi was my responsibility, Tsukishima was Kuroo's. I just had to keep my cool. I met up with him on the rooftop, nodding good morning to Inuoka as I passed. At least he was dressed and proper in the morning.

"Morning, Captain. Is there anything I can do for you?" I blinked in surprise before an idea popped into my head. 

"Tadashi needs target practice. You think you can set a few up around the city?" He beamed with excitement.

"Sure! It gives me a chance to do some more recon and practice my Mandarin." Yamamoto bolted out of his room, a huge grin already plastered to his face. The moment our eyes met, he sobered and saluted. 

"Captain Echo! P-Permission to aid you in your mission!" He shouted loudly, making me wince. I motioned him to lower his voice. 

"Yes, but you have to be quiet. Kenma is trying to sleep." 

"Oh! Oh, right. Sorry." The punk blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Room for one more?" Kai asked, strutting down the hall casually with his tactical bag strapped to his back. I shrugged.

"It's just target practice-"

"Oh! Can I be the target?" Lev asked, bursting from his room with his shirt half over his shoulder and both legs in one pant leg. I snorted a laugh.

"If you can figure out how to dress, maybe. You will have Tadashi shooting at you with his sniper for full disclosure on our mission." Lev paused, causing everyone to burst out laughing. 

"Lev! You are not going anywhere until you figure out how to clean your gun!" Yaku yelled, coming out from behind Lev and holding up a small bag full of dismantled gun parts. Lev grimaced and looked up at me pleadingly. Yaku glared at me, daring me to override his order.

"Your trainer has spoken. Go clean your guns." I replied, earning a very childish whine from the tall, lanky Russian. I turned to the squad as Tadashi came out of his room with his rifle strapped to his back. 

"Hey, what's everyone doing?" He asked. Kai reached into his backpack and pulled out an MRE. 

"We are helping you train. Eat up." I smiled gratefully at Kai, who tossed me a thumbs up. Inuoka pumped his fist in the air with an excited yell. 

"Fuck yeah! We are gonna train you so hard you are gonna be the best sniper in the world! Fucking shred it, man!" Yamamoto yelled, pounding Tadashi on his back and almost knocking him over. Kenma poked his head out from his own room, hissing under his breath. I took that as a sign for us to leave and explained my plan to everyone as we left the bunker. 

__

"Captain Echo, Attention." Kuroo's voice greeted me as I walked through the bunker's entrance after a long day of training, Tadashi. It was basic things like talking with locals, setting up and picking sniping positions, and a few hours of chasing multiple targets, who's roles were played by Inuoka and Kai. Yamamoto did an excellent job of teaching everyone how to care for the sniper, teaching even me new things. So hearing Kuroo bark a command, the first thing when I walked through the door pissed me off. 

"Captain-" I started to snap before I saw why he had barked the order. Director Ukai and his assistant stood in the middle of the living room in front of a table. The furniture had been pushed off to the side to give off almost imposing space around the table, only magnifying the aura of power the Director gave off. Kuroo Stood to his left, Tsuki behind him with his arms folded behind his back. Lev and Yaku stood on the opposite side of the table, turning to look back at the returning squad. 

"Director." I saluted, stepping in to allow the others to join me in the bunker. Once everyone was inside, the Director stood up and motioned for everyone to gather around. I stood directly across from him on the rectangular wooden table, Tadashi to my left while Kai stood to my right, Inuoka and Yamamoto taking their places along the table. Kenma stood at the far side of the table with a tablet and a projector. I raised my eyebrow at the Director.

"What brings you out to us, Sir?" The Director hardly left the Compound unless it was a critical threat to his life, or there was a mission he only trusted himself to give. Based on his expression, I couldn't rule out either one. Everyone save Kenma was smoking like chimnies, which was an even worse sign. Kuroo shoved a box to me along with a lighter, which pretty much made me groan. "What's the mission..." 

"Recently, we were made aware that one of our rivals had gotten into the drug-dealing trade to bolster their connections and revenue. The cheeky fuck's got themselves a goldmine in the pharmaceutical industry and has completely dropped out of the assassin game because of it." The Director began, putting out one cigarette before lighting another. He waved his hand to Kenma, who put up a 3D image of a symbol I had never seen before. It was a fox curled around two crossed swords and shields. The Latin written around it read, "Born from Corruption, Breed for Seduction, Our mission is Destruction." The cheesy message in Latin almost made me laugh if the Director did not look so unnerved. 

"If they aren't in the assassin trade like us, why should we care? They aren't rivals with us anymore, right." Inuoka interrupted, looking between the Director and Kuroo in confusion. Takeda nodded in understanding before typing something on his own tablet. Kenma nodded and moved to show multiple windows with images of men and women, their stats, and the world map with blinking red dots.

"Once you are rivals, it's hard to let the bad blood go. My grandfather spent his entire life working to keep this Company ahead, and now they are starting to cause trouble again. The pharmaceutical testing is for a superhuman drug that is meant to speed up its members' recovery time. So far, they have only tested it in small doses in the civilian populations. From one of the other teams assigned to this case, we discovered that the drug also has a hallucinogenic property that makes people easy to control and acts as a sort of truth serum. They are now trying to bioengineer two strains of the drug. One for mind control and the other for superhuman recovery." My eyes narrowed. Takeda moved suspiciously at the mention of the other team. My eyes locked onto Ukai, who kept his expression unreadable. The long string of smoke rising from his cigarette told me all that I need to know. I slammed my hand on the table.

"Why the fuck do we care, Ukai? You afraid they are going to turn out to better Agent's then us?" I snapped, bristling at the thought of this being the top-secret mission that kept me from Daichi all these years.

"Echo, show the Director some respect-" Kuroo barked before Ukai held up his hand and leaned forward. He rested his chin on his interlaced fingers before glaring down at me. 

"To protect the identity and mission safety, I will not disclose the casualties of those involved in getting this information. Just know that this is a grave threat not only for the Company but for the world. They are not neutral and have solid alliances with most terrorist groups bent of the enslavement of the world as a whole or running total fascist dictatorships. This is a threat to the world's balance, and we are one of the few men and women who can handle this situation." I fell silent before I slowly raised my arm in salute. 

"What are your orders, Director," I said slowly, my entire body going numb at the implications of Ukai's words. Casualties y unknown members of the Company. Daichi's years of silence... 

"I need you to find the source of the mind control part of the drug. You might already know who is taking care of the super-soldier portion of the drug, Captain Kuroo." Kuroo smirked around his cigarette. 

"Just got an update last night. I'll coordinate with Bokuto to provide support and a stable base of intelligence flow." Tsuki muttered something under his breath before Kuroo glared back at his trainee. That's when I heard the Director laugh for the first time. 

"Shit kid, you have no mercy for your captain. Better show some respect, or you might find your ass in a world of hurt." The Director chuckled, and I suddenly burned to know what the smartass had said to get the Director to eve crack a fucking smile. Tsuki smirked in satisfaction art Kuroo before the captain turned back to the table. 

"Here's all the info we have gathered..." I zoned out for the rest of the meeting, my mind flashing back and forth between the thought of Daichi being dead or alive. If he were alive and the mission was common knowledge, why couldn't he contact me? If he were killed, where was his body? What had he done to get this kind of information? 

My mind was pulled back only as Ukai was leaving. Kuroo and everyone else was moving to pack their gear for the long haul to the middle east where our first target was. I caught the Director's wrist as he moved to open the door. He looked down at me, his cigarette dangling from his lips. 

"Just answer me this question. Is... is Daichi alive? Asahi? Sugawara?" I kept my eyes glued to the floor, trying to stop my hand from shaking. There was a long, heavy pause before he placed his hand on my shoulder. 

"Focus on your mission, Captain. For the Company." I opened my mouth to scream at him that he didn't fucking answer my question, but Takeda stepped between us. 

"Echo, you need to focus. He can't tell you because we don't know. They have gone radio silent for three months. Which is why we are giving your team this assignment. Maybe you can follow the bread crumbs." He suggested. I felt like the world had suddenly been stretched around me before snapping back into place like a bandaid. They were either manipulating me or telling the truth—either way. I wasn't going to get an answer from either of them. I glared at the Director with all the hate I had ever had for the man and the world. 

"If I ever find out you sent them on a suicide mission, I will drag you to the Pit and make you beg for death," Ukai smirked, taking his cigarette from his lips and patting me on the head. 

"Always a pleasure talking with you, Echo. Take care." And he left. I was standing in the doorway being thrown about by my emotions until Tadashi tapped my shoulder. 

"Captain? Kuroo wanted to talk to you." I looked back at him without lifting my gaze from the floor. "Captain?" 

"Pack up. We are moving." I growled lowly. Tadashi backed away as I pushed past him on my way to Kuroo. He stood over the table, the ashtray on his left filling quickly with discarded cigarettes. He lifted his gaze and seemed to peer into my very soul. I started back at him without saying a word. With the slightest of nods, he turned to Inuoka. 

"You will be heading to India for the last point of contact for the drug. If we can find the main dealers, we can work our way back to the pulse and shut down their total production. Kenma, I need to do your thing and track every case of the drug. I need the rest of you men to help knock heads." Everyone nodded before looking at me. I crossed my arms over my chest with my eyebrow raised. 

"I assume I'm going to be a part of this investigative team." I snapped. Kuroo's lips morphed into an almost predatory grin. 

"You are gonna be my date, Kitten." 

"I'm a what now?"

____

"Why don't you get our guests a drink, Kitten." Kuroo purred, running a finger behind my ear as the music in the club dropped its base and sent the party-goers into a frenzy. The smell of sweat, sex, and the sweet perfume of our next target, the drug nicknamed Sweet Summer Child, made it almost impossible to focus. Dressed in the same suit he wore on the day we met, Kuroo was even more ethereal in the dark club's flashing lights. Truly embracing the up and coming mob boss aura with class. 

Lev stood outside our little booth as our guard, his look complete with his intensely offputting glare, two-piece black suit with black shoes. His hair made him stand out starkly against the background of the club and giving him a foreign mercenary for hire air. He turned his head from side to side in case any of the drunken clubbers chose this booth to try and raid. Yamamoto stood on the other side of the entrance of the booth, looking slightly more imitating then Lev. His bright blond mohawk made his punkish look clash with the similar two-piece suit the Russian wore. Unlike Lev, Yama had his hands firmly in his pockets and growling at the other security that perused the club. Yaku sat at the left side of the Captain, his conceited expression fitting the persona as the bookie. His simple grey dress shirt contrasted tastefully against the black tie, his tight driver's glove, slacks, and dress shoes. His eyes scanned over the empty notebook in his hands, nodding as if he were reading essential notes. 

The scene could not have looked more convincing even if we tried. The young, charismatic up and coming drug lord, two intimidating security guards, and a bookie that looked as if he was just a quick to strike a deal or slit someone's throat. The cheery on top was the little piece of arm candy that played the dumb little drug whore. 

I hated every second of my part.

"Yes, Kuroo." I purred back, gently placing a kiss on the back of his hand as the cocky little mob boss watched my tits slid around in my two-piece dress. I flicked my ponytail off my shoulder, swaying my hips as I pushed through the crowd. I ignored the drunken whistles and catcalls from the other club members, but then I found what I was sent out to take care of. A security guard was being hauled off to the back of the club by our target's goons. I had to admit, Kuroo certainly knew how to keep a girl entertained. Even if I only felt like I was running in place when Daichi was out there either risking his life, dying, or being tortured. 

"Excuse me? Do you know where the bathroom is..." I slurred before stumbling against the chest of the hooded goon. He growled and tried to backhand me, finding his hand caught in my vice-like grip. Poor guy had no idea that he was about to be the punching bag for my bottomless rage and frustration. "Maybe the morgue then?" 

"Fucking bitch-" His companion tried to swing at me but found his own arm caught in another firm grip. 

"Hitting a woman? I guess I shouldn't expect a grunt to mind his manners." Tsuki purred, smirking when the grunt tried to punch him with his free arm. He ducked, his one hand slipping in his front pocket while his other drove it into the goon's temple. The beast of a man was out cold before his body slumped to the ground.

"No tie?" I inquired, twisting to drive my elbow into my own goon's throat. The man dropped to the ground, wet choking sounds replacing curses he had been shouting at us. Tsuki rolled his eyes, fixing his black gloves and glasses. 

"Yeah, like I wanna get strangled when fighting these fuckers. I think you hit him a little too hard." Tsuki sighed, cracking the dying man's skull with the metal soul of his shoe to end his misery. I shrugged. 

"Oops." I looked around the alley before frowning in concern. "Where is Yamaguchi?" 

"He said he had to go to the bathroom." He glanced behind as my trainee dashed into view. Tadashi's nose was broken and a dark black eye was forming, but he looked untouched otherwise. 

"They aren't playing fair tonight, huh?" Tadashi panted angrily, glancing at the two bodies at Tsuki and my feet. I walked over to him and tilted his head from side to side. "Do you have to do this now? Aren't you scared of getting blood on your dress, Captain?" Tadashi said nervously, wincing as I grabbed his nose. 

"The longer I wait, the worse it will be for you when I pop it back into place." At the word wait, I snapped his nose back in place, catching the poor trainee as his eyes rolled in the back of his head for a moment. Tadashi collapsed into my arm for three seconds before I slapped his cheek. "Come on, the night's not over. They probably aren't the only ones hanging around here."

"Kai is taking care of the local police right now. Want me to call him down?" Tsuki asked, slinging Tadashi's arm around his waist and took his weight from my arms. I shook my head. 

"No, it's okay. Kuroo should be wrapping up anyway. Just take Tadashi somewhere he can recover." 

"I'm fine..." He slurred, eyes crossing. 

"Right, and Yaku is as tall as Lev. Tch, you are a pain, Tadashi." The temperamental blond grumbled. I waved them away as the living goon groaned. Without looking down, I drove the heel of my stiletto through hit temple. Kenma was right, reinforcing the cheap shoe with metal was worth the effort. It was helpful to imagine it was the Director's skull and relieve some of the growing frustration. Satisfied with the job done, I strutted back to join Kuroo in the booth but not before checking the rest of the club from the shadows. I was almost insulted at how much this mob boss was underestimating us. Other than the two outside, the boss only brought two more guards that looked half asleep with bordem. 

As I passed the mobster's security, I made sure to scratch them with my stiletto nails. That might not have seemed like much, but I trusted Kuroo's plan. I giggled drunkenly and patted their chest when they both flinched at my scratch, earning my grumbling. Kuroo noticed my play and smiled. 

"They not have what I like, Kitten?" Kuroo purred, holding his hand to pull me into the booth while the mob boss watched me with lecherous eyes. Fuck creepy old men.

"No, sir. They had two very nasty extras that had a bad bite." Kuroo nodded in understanding. The number of extras was for the goons I had counted. A bite was if anyone had gotten hurt badly enough to be taken out of the job. While Tadashi wasn't critical, I wasn't going to let him back so soon after breaking his nose. I needed the sniper sharp for his job. Yaku closed his book and glared at the old man after I relayed the message. Lev and Yamamoto stepped closer together, cracking their knuckles in excitement. 

"I'm afraid we will no longer be bargaining for the drug, Mr. Hoshi." Yaku said in a matter of fact tone, humming at the mobster's reaction. The old man sat up angrily, tapping his cane against the ground. 

"Excuse me? After I was generous enough to meet you and give you an ample amount of buyers? You think you have any room to threaten me?" He spat in a fury. His own security moved to attack but stiffened the second they moved. They fell to the ground with their mouths foaming, and their eyes almost instantly going bloodshot—a classic case of cyanide poisoning. The mobster jumped to his feet, his eyes widening in alarm. I held my painted fingernails in the air under the booth's lights, ensuring he got a good look at the little crystals at the far end of my nails. Kuroo sipped his drink he had been nursing earlier, the corners of his lips twitching up. 

"You should know that kitten's have very dangerous claws, Mr. Hoshi. My Kitten, in particular, has cyanide crystals that are concentrated to triple the lethal dose for an elephant. So it's really you who have no room to negotiate." Kuroo's grin widened when Mr.Hoshi pressed the panic button on his cane. "My hacker associate also took the liberty of switching out your usual cane with an identical prop. He has been tracing the signals and communications it has been recording for the past month as we sat chatting away like proper gentlemen. So, is there anything else you would like to try? Or have you realized that you aren't dealing with just any upstart mobster?" 

"You cocky son of a bitch-" He reached into his jacket and pulled out a radio. He pressed the button. "Storm the place. Now! I don't want a single one of them-" 

"Sorry, wrong number. Better luck next time." Tsuki's voice crackled over the radio before it went to static. Mr. Hoshi's face went slack as the radio dropped from his hand. Yaku nodded to Lev and Yamamoto, who took the mobster's shoulders and slammed him back into his chair. They then closed the thick black curtains, shutting out the club's distractions. Mr. Hoshi was sweating bullets as he ground his teeth together in pure fury. I yawned, propping my leg up in the table in a very unladylike fashion as I toyed with my nails. When Kuroo had presented the idea to me, I wondered if he wanted to kill me. If I slipped up and accidentally cut myself or folded my hands wrong, I could have killed either one of us. His faith in my abilities was staggering, considering I barely made captain. Kuro's eyes narrowed at my blatant disrespect for the situation.

"Behave, Kitten." I looked up at him through my lashes. I wanted to end this and get out of the damn dress. The mobster would be dead in a minute anyway.

"Make me, Sir." His eyes narrowed dangerously, and I knew I was going to pay for it later. I crossed my heels together on the table, letting the dried blood flake off onto the table. Mr. Hoshi's face paled as he realized that Kuroo wasn't really the one he should be afraid of. I smirked, toying with the thick black strip of cloth around my neck that acted as my collar. Kuroo's words were my leash, a fun little game of cat and mouse we played. Despite my earlier objection to the entire scenario, I had to admit it was kinda fun. 

"You were about to tell us about where you got the SSC, Mr. Hoshi." Yaku interrupted the growing tension as Kuroo's fingers curled around the back of my neck, but we both knew it was an empty threat. He wasn't even going to try anything so long as I had these nails. I huffed, going back to inspecting my nails. Mr. Hoshi had difficulty putting his thoughts into words with the rage and terror pumping through his veins, but clicking my nails on the table seemed to clear his mind. 

"India. The dealer is a Shik who has ties to multiple terrorist cells. As for the drug, I simply drop them off, and he has his runners sell the shit. I don't have their names, but the factory does. That is where they note their employees and product demand." Kuroo nodded, motioning for Yaku to give the mobster his book. 

"Name, places, and connections." He huffed and began scribbling in the book offered to him. Kuroo snatched his hand out, slamming the mobster's face into the table and breaking his nose with a loud crack. I grimaced, not wanting to deal with another bloody nose. To his credit, the old man only hissed in pain before glaring up at Kuroo with a crooked nose. 

"The fuck was that for-"

"Try lying again, and I'll let my Kitten use you like her new toy." I grinned, flexing my nails. I was not enjoying this. Not at all.

"I need a new scratching post." Mr. Hoshi sneered. 

"Shut up, whore. Do you have any idea what will happen to me if I tell you everything?" He hissed, popping his nose back in place with a sharp hiss. I had to admit the old man was tough and stubborn. Yaku handed me my purse, but Kuroo intercepted it. He pulled out a syringe filled with a blue liquid. The mobster's eyes widened as his pupils dilated until they nearly took over his irises. Kuroo smirked and slightly pressed the plunger to send a drop of the liquid to the needle tip. With the cigarette dangling from his lips and his suit immaculate, the Captain looked like a real scheming mastermind in the club lights.

"I think I can make it worth your while. I took the liberty of making your little vice twice the concentrate with half the side effects. Now, those names..." The mobster started writing like a man possessed. I gave Kuroo the side-eye and made a mental note not to try to push him too far. He planned for everything and knew just how to get under someone's skin. After an hour of writing, he nearly threw the book at Yaku and reached for the syringe. Kuroo obliged, being so kind as to push the needle gently into Mr. Hoshi's neck. Mr. Hoshi's eyes dilated, and his jaw went slack as he began to trip on his drug of choice. The three of us got up to leave, but Kuroo stopped me.

"Make sure you clean up, kitten." I nodded, flicking my nail to the back of the mobster's neck and sticking a single crystal into his skin. I watched as the man began to choke on his own blood and cyanide and threw open the booth's curtains. We all left with smiles on our face, Kuroo's arm wrapped around my shoulders all the way to the limo. Kai bowed, volunteering to be the driver despite Yaku's insistence. Once everyone was inside, Kuroo leaned forward and held up the book with a mischievous grin. 

"Job well done, everyone. Now, back to base. We got a lead to track."

___

"Kuroo, how do you get this shit off?" I yelled, holding up my nails to the ceiling as I walked into the common room. Everyone had changed by now, but I was still waiting on how to disarm my own hands. Kuroo looked at me, his head cocked to the side. 

"You cut them?" I kicked off my heel in his direction. The heel stuck in the wall a centimeter from his face, but the captain did not seem fazed. "What? Cut them in like the toilet or a bag and then get rid of them. The carefully file down your hands while reapplying the mucus to keep your hands from absorbing that shit." Everyone's eyes turned to him as he looked down at his phone. When he noticed the silence, he looked up, blinking. "What?"

"You said something, intelligent. I was wondering when the lightning was gonna strike." Tsuki commented, lifting his headphone from his ear. Kuroo brustled. 

"Hey! I'm smarter than all of you combined, Four-eyes!" I rolled my eyes. 

"I wouldn't go that far. Maybe Yamamoto." Tadashi snickered at Tsuki's comment while the hotheaded punk raged. 

"Wanna say that to my face?" Yama chucked a pillow Tsuki, missing him and hitting Kuroo right in the face. Kuroo's head snapped back for a second before he jumped to his feet. 

"Hey! Work on your aim! Friendly fire is not how I wanna go." Kenma lifted his head from his game to look exhaustedly at Kuroo. 

"Please tell us how you would like to go so I can make arrangments. I need peace and quiet." Tsuki smirked as Kuroo gasped in mock horror.

"After all I've done for you, you would treat me so rudely-" He paused when his phone lit up. "Aw, come on! What does the bird brain want now..." I glanced at Kai and Yaku, who were both busy with a card game with Lev, Yamamoto, and Tadashi in the corner of the common room with bowls of snacks. 

"Bokuto, why are you-" He jerked his head away as the voice of the other end screamed through the speaker loud enough for everyone to hear it. 

"Kuroo! You fucking asswipe! Why didn't you tell me she was fucking hot!" Kuroo shook his head in confusion and brought the phone back to his ear. 

"Bokuto, I told you she was hot-" He jerked the phone away again. 

"This is why we can't be friends because you get all the hot, cool Agent's and mission while I'm stuck getting pinned down in the fucking desert. Sweating my ass off, sand in my asscrack, scorpions in my shoes- Those little fuckers are everywhere! And now you want me to pull out when I just started making progress? No way! Akaashi's pale skin can't take any more marching in the sun." There was a brief pause before the man yelled, "I am calm!" 

"Easy, there, Bird brain. I think Akaashi is gonna be fine-" the captain was interrupted again. 

"Holy shit, this kid if fucking amazing! He just headbutted a guy twice his size about to shoot a missile launcher. Dude! Sending you the video." 

"Maybe you should take the phone call to your room?" I suggested as Kenma nodded in agreement. 

"Bokuto is too loud." The hacker mumble, not lifting his eyes from his game. Kuroo stuck out his tongue and walked to his room. I looked over at Kenma. 

"Who is Bokuto?" Everyone in the squad cringed. 

"It's Bokuto..." Yaku groaned.

"Super buff guy, hella fucking strong." Yamamoto agreed. 

"He's Kuroo's best Captain friend," Lev added. 

"The one that shares the brain cell." Tsuki groaned. 

"Bokuto is a really cool Captain who has his moments of being really cool or kind of getting down. They call him Emo Bokuto when things don't go right." Tadashi added.

"He also got a new trainee, so he's even more energetic and doesn't get to talk to Kuroo often anymore," Kenma added before sighing. "You should probably take those off before you accidentally scratch yourself." I froze, not realizing I was about to do just that to my arm. I went into my bedroom and quickly started cutting away the nails. It was a stressful process considering I also had to file down my nail to keep the residue from getting into my skin. When I was done, I looked at my now dull fingertips and frowned. 

I didn't want to admit Kuroo had been right. Slipping into the submissive seductress role had been as easy as putting on my dress. The nails had given me a sort of feminine power that felt utterly alien compared to the directness of my usual style of fighting. Either a bullet through the head or a punch of the face was almost second nature to me now. But using my feminine assets to seduce and trick the targets into giving me what I wanted felt strange. I looked at myself more closely in the mirror, seeing how angular my features were thanks to my ordeal in the cage. 

"So you had a little fun tonight, huh." Kuroo's voice made me jerk away from the mirror. I glared at him as he leaned against my doorway, hands in his sweatpant pockets with his hoodie riding up to reveal his abs. His alluring smirk was only made worse when combined with his narrow eyes. "Come on, I can keep a secret. You like it when you played my Kitten." I opened my mouth to snap at him before pausing. Maybe... it could work on more than just target?

"Maybe." I hummed, leaning back in my chair and uncrossing my legs only to recross them the other way. His eyes never left my own, but my action only made his smirk grow wider. "I could have gone without the claws of death." Kuroo chuckled darkly before pushing off the doorframe. Gliding across the floor with his bare feet padding softly across the carpet and loomed over me. I didn't flinch as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. 

"I think that was your favorite part...Captain Echo." He purred, leaning against the vanity where I had my meager makeup and beauty essentials. "You really have no idea what you can do to men, or women, for that matter. You have a certain sexiness radiating off you that goes deeper than your looks." I raised my eyebrow, wondering why he was trying to flirt his way to his goal. The only problem was that I never knew what he wanted. He was unpredictable, mysterious, with his eyes either empty of thought or scheming like a master manipulator. He lifted his chin slightly to looked down at me without losing the expression of respect. 

"You don't believe me? Well, I'm not surprised. I'm sure you have heard it a million times from other men who want to get into your pants. But for me?" My lip twitched up at the mention of my past lovers. He leaned forward at his waist, so his torso cast me in shadow. His eyes almost glowed a light amber with a fathomless wealth of knowledge and secrets. 

"I'm not trying to get into your pants. I'm not some thoughtless playboy or stoic musclehead who can't express himself emotionally or a horny bastard just trying to jump on the hottest piece of ass he can get. No, I know my place." My breath hitched, and I wasn't sure if it was from how seductive his voice had become, insulting Oikawa and Ushijima, or genuinely enjoying his words. I was speechless in any case. 

"A woman like you? Able to hold her own in a world that wants nothing more than to sweep you under the rug or put you in a pretty beautiful box because it's scared of you. Scared of your power, your drive, your talent as an Agent. You are more than just a woman. More than just a pretty face or a housewife a man can come home to and have children with. You are a killer, a stone-cold killer that takes what she wants and doesn't apologize for it. That is the kind of sexiness you can't show on your skin." He smirked, bowing his head as if he had gone shy. "I bet you think I'm just a flirt or something, but you couldn't be more wrong. I say what I mean, and I don't lie. Lying is for people who are weak and scared. Me? What do I have to be scared of? I have the best squad, the best trainee's, and the best hideout, with killer instincts and good looks. The only thing that I could be scared of is... you." 

"Y-You should be scared," I replied dumbly. How had Kuroo turned the tables so quickly? I was supposed to be seducing him!

"Oh, I am. I'm scared that you will run off on your own, chasing some vendetta from your past."" he noticed me stiffen, tilting his head to the side. "What? You don't think I know that look in your eyes?" His grin disappeared. "I had that look for a long time. I saw it in the mirror every day for years until I finally told it to fuck off. Now, seeing it in your eyes scares the hell out of me because I might have to watch what you do to the poor fucker who stands in your way." 

"Don't act like you know me, Kuroo." I snapped, jumping up from my chair and standing with my back to him as I faced the bed. Not the smartest move I could have made, but I wasn't going to let him see how flustered he was making me: me, an Agent of the Company who has fucked more guys than anyone else could have. I told myself I didn't care. That I wasn't enjoying the game we had played earlier in the club or the one we played now. One that felt like there was nothing to lose but only an intoxicating rush to gain. I didn't want it...

"You're right, I don't know you." He admitted, with the faintest of chuckles in his voice. "I've only seen you walk in here with that shiny captain title on your belt while having only a quarter of the missions I've been on. The way you care for the squad even though they are nothing more than strangers to you. The harsh words and taunts from civilians and people inside the Company only fueling your drive to succeed. Watching you teach a trainee without a moment of hesitation or asking for anything in return? It's a rare sight to see someone so cold on the outside act on such selfless causes." I felt him take a step closer, only a step away from pressing his chest into my back. I forced my breathing to slow as I turned my head down to the floor. I didn't want the game to end, but I couldn't just let him do what he wanted, right? Maybe prompt him a little...

"I just don't want to end up with a bullet in my back." Kuroo snickered.

"Can't say I blame you for that goal. But can you really stand there and say that you are not lying to yourself when you say you don't care?" I stiffened, giving him an opening to lean down and press his lips to my ear. "Just like you are trying to lie to yourself that you didn't enjoy dressing up and having all those eyes on you. Or that you didn't enjoy the feeling of having the power to end a man's life with a flick of your finger." He moved to my other ear, sending shivers down my spine. His words were caressing my body in place of his hands, but the torture was still unbearable. I bit the inside of my cheek to stay focused and still. I wasn't going to lose this game.

"I might be scheming, manipulative, and diabolical, but you, Captain Echo, are a liar." I hissed through my teeth before his hand wrapped around my throat. His fingers pressed gently against my jugular as he went utterly still. I didn't move, trying to slow my heart rate before I caught a glimpse of his smirk in the corner of my eye. "Well, well, well..." 

His purring in my ear was making it hard to concentrate. His fingers felt like smoldering coal was pulsing heat into my body. The soft puff of his breath against my cheeks did not help my mind focus on keeping my heartrate even. I tried to watch him in the corner of my eyes, but it was like he knew where my blindspot was. His face danced along the vision edges, taunting me to turn my head even more and give away how much I was enjoying it. I gave in and turned my head just enough to see his eyes. They were closed as if he were solely focused on reading my pulse. My heart jumped when he opened his smoldering eyes to meet mine. 

"Again, I'm not trying to get between your legs, but if you were to invite me... I could show you how I play with good little Kitten's like you." 

"I thought you said you were afraid of me and knew your place," I said, unable to hide the shakiness of my breathing. Kuroo removed his hand from my throat and stepped away from me. I almost fell to my knees at the absence of his presence as he strolled over to the doorway. The shock forced the smallest gasp from my lips. 

"You're right, which is why I won't do anything." He glanced down at me over his shoulder, his lips curling up into a grin. "Unless, of course, you want me to do something, Kitten." The shock of him leaving my side gave me the clarity I needed. I shook my head and turned to face him, my shoulders squared. 

"We make a good team, but I won't take you to bed, Captain Kuroo." He smiled, seemingly pleased with my response. He patted the doorframe as if something had been settled in his mind. 

"We do make a great team. See you in the morning..." He stepped out the door but not before calling back in a whisper. "Kitten..." The door closed with the nickname echoing in my ears. I collapsed to my knees. The heat in my stomach turned into an agonizing ache that begged to be sated, but I only had myself to blame. I played the game and lost. Now I need to swallow my pride and take my punishment. I kicked off my heels and stormed out into the hall to grab Kuroo's arm. He looked down at me in surprise before he saw my cheeks. 

"So, the Kitten want's a bite-"

"This doesn't mean anything." I snapped, forcing myself to keep my eyes on him. "We won't talk about this, and I don't have to like it. This is a one-time thing." Kuroo smirked. 

"Of course, Kitten. I wouldn't want to ruin the uncaring persona you are giving to your squadmates." He slammed me against the wall, bending at his waist to lock his eyes on my own. "But, I have some demands of my own, Kitten." He gripped my hips firmly before flattening me against the wall. I should have been worried about getting caught, but it only added to the excitement growing my core.

"One, you and I are no longer captains. You are my Kitten, and I'm Tetsuro or Master to you. Call me Captain or Kuroo, and I'll leave you in the bed and finish myself." 

That was a cruel threat, I thought but nodded in understanding. 

"Two, say Neko if you think things are going to far. And three... you have to promise to respect me the same when we are done." He brought his lips to hover over mine, pulling away when I tried to meet his. "Do we have a deal, Captain?" 

"Yes... Tetsurou." He purred before bringing his lips to mine and picking me up by my thighs. He teased my lips with his own, his fingers gripping my legs to support my weight as he carried me into his room. It was surprisingly clean and organized for a guy who left a mess everywhere he went in the bunker. It smelled like cigarettes and weed, with the faintest hint of apples. His bed was massive, taking up nearly the entire room with manga and video game controllers scattered on it. He hooked one arm around my waist as the other swept the mess from the top of the sheets, sending the controllers clattering to the floor. He laid me down with a surprising amount of gentleness as if I was glass, and he was afraid to break me. 

I hummed against his lips, tasting the bourbon and cigarette smoke on his tongue as it tangled with my own. The heat I felt earlier only intensified and spread with each roll of his tongue in my mouth. His fingers toyed with the edge of my dress, leaving trails of fire along my skin. I wasn't drunk, but I was intoxicated by him; his allure, his mystery, and his assertive nature also told me I controlled everything. Each flick of his tongue and peck of his lips against my own demand for me to give in to him so that he could show me what he respected about me. What he wanted to bring from my own darkness and shed light until I no longer felt its shame. 

"Kitten..." He growled, his fingers trailing up my tights as he propped himself over me with one arm. I spread my legs wider in invitation, my heels hooking around his knees to force him to fall. He chuckled against my lips before bringing his own against the hollow at the base of my throat. "You look so beautiful like this, but...I have to ask. Can you handle it if I remove this dress? Can you stop yourself from saying no?" He pulled away, his eyes locked on mine as he stared up into my own eyes. I nodded, not trusting my voice. "Hm, Kitten? Why aren't you saying anything? Is it because you know what I want to do to you and want it bad?" His hand slipped under my dress and palmed my clit along with the growing wet patch of my underwear. 

"Tet-Tesurou." I panted, trying to compose myself. It was just a touch, but somehow the touch combined with his words made everything even harder to resist. He hummed, moving lower until his lips were pressing against the inside of my leg. 

"I'm going to kiss you slowly, let my tongue make you forget your own name before I fuck you with it." My leg twisted, making his eyes smolder a little brighter. He pressed his teeth into the soft flesh of my inner thigh until I yelped. He soothed the pain with his tongue, eyes closed as if he were licking the sweetest of desserts. My legs started shaking as his hand moved from my clit. I whimpered. Fuck, he was too good at this. The captain- Tetsurou, knew how to please me better then I thought possible. He kissed up my inner thigh slowly, leaving a wet trail where hit hot breath panted against. I propped myself onto my elbows to watch as his face turned to look up at me. 

"You know how to stop this if you don't want it, Kitten. After all, you are a strong woman controlling me and this tongue—a master of your own desires." He breathed against the wetness in my panties, making my legs shake even more wildly. I reached out and gripped his hair, amazed at how surprisingly soft it felt. 

"Stop teasing me, Tetsurou," I growled. He smirked in the low light of his bedroom, his eyes glowing an even brighter yellow as he reached up and began pulling my panties down my legs. 

"Your wish is my command, Kitten." He purred, his lips connecting with my own. His tongue parted them, releasing the hot mess I was already in. "You taste so sweet. Who would have thought such a bitter personality could hide something so delectable." He mumbled against my clit, his tongue teasing the sensitive bundle. My hips bucked into his face and I moaned. How could he keep talking yet move like that? His tongue kept toying with the bundle of nerves as his sultry breath continued to pant down my wet folds. I wasn't even trying to hide my panting anymore, mostly because we both knew I didn't need to. He knew exactly what to do, and all I could do was let him have his fun. Not that I wasn't enjoying myself. 

"Tetsurou..." I moaned, my head falling back as he toyed with my clit and tightening the coil in my gut until I felt it almost beg to snap. "Faster, fuck." I groaned, my thighs twitching in frustration as he kept his pace slow and teasing. 

"Do you really want me to do that, Kitten? Move faster?" He did, my eyes crossing as my now hypersensitive clit was sucked gently into his mouth as his tongue nearly vibrated across my clit with its speed. My voice came out a choking scream, and the coil snapped. I came, loudly and messily. My thighs shook as his thumb toyed with my clit, his mouth moving to drink up my cum with playful delight. 

"You taste even sweeter when you cum. Tell me, Kitten. Did I do as I promised? Did I lie when I said I would make you forget your own name?" My cheeks flushed as I looked down at him. 

"Yes..." I panted, my legs still shaking as he removed his thumb from my clit. My resistance was gone, which should have mortified me, but I was too intoxicated and high off of Teturou's movements to care. A wicked chuckle escaped from his lips. 

"I told you, you know what you want, and I'm just here to give it to you. But-" Kuroo pulled away from between my legs and threw me higher onto the bed, startling me. He crawled forward on the bed, effortlessly sliding out of his sweatpants and revealing he had not been wearing anything underneath. His cock was already rock hard and throbbing, dripping a little precum. He lifted my chin, so our eyes met. "Just like our agreement, I also have my own desires. A strong woman like you can handle a man when he has desires, can't you?" I forced myself up to my elbow, putting our faces millimeters apart. 

"You can't do anything I don't want you to, Tetsurou." He grinned, his fingers wrapping around my throat and pressing on my veins. I felt the blood flow slowly as my vision began to darken. The sudden shift of power mixed with the bloodloss to my brain made it hard to think, but also made it hard to want anything else. I gasped when he released his grip, a sense of euphoria rushing through my body as I felt the blood return to my brain. I shivered and watched as the scheming captain's grin grew wider. 

"Of course, Kitten. But I had a feeling you want me to make you forget your own power, just for a moment. To make you see the stars in ways, you could never imagine. But first I have to take what I want. Don't worry, I'll make sure you enjoy it. Fuck it, if you make me forget my name, I'll make it worth your while. But I doubt you can make me forget my own name. You see, you might have a sexiness, but I have stone-cold resolve." I knew he was baiting me, but I wasn't about to let him get away with calling me weak. I bit his lip, my hand tangling in his hair before bucking my hips into his own. He laughed, slamming my neck down into the bed and choking me again; this time more gently. 

"No, you don't get to control this time. I take you for a moment for myself and after that... I'm your little fuck toy. You can beat me, control me, push me away, punish me, make me fuck you in such sinful ways we could make the devil himself blush. But I need to take something from you first. A price for services rendered, if you will." I frowned, my vision darkening before he rereleased me. I lay on the bed, gasping even though it wasn't air I need. 

"What do you want to take?" I rasped, feeling a slight bruise forming around my neck. It was a pleasurable pain, a distraction from anything I had felt before. Kuroo grinned, leaning back to strip his sweatshirt and revealing the thin sheen of sweat already forming on his body. 

"I want to fuck the real you." I blinked, and he chuckled. "I want to take that control you have over your desires. I want to see what you look like, with every wall stripped away. I want to make love to that, show you that a strong woman like you can be weak for a moment, and I won't hurt you." He caressed my cheek gently, his eyes softening. "You want someone to see your pain, to care for you without getting to close. I want to do that for you, Kitten. I want to carry that pain because I know what it's like to feel that way. I want to be selfish and steal that burden you have protected yourself with and release you, free you, so you don't have to hide what you really want." 

"Kuroo, that's too much-"

"Kitten, don't use that name." He growled, looking as if I broke some sort of spell. A wall slammed down behind his eyes, and they narrowed. His grip tightened against my cheek. "We agreed that I would give you what you wanted as long as you knew not to use that name. So shut up and let me take care of you like a Master should take care of his Kitten. Let me heal your wounds, so all you have to do is lay there, purring, without a care in the world. What do you say, Kitten? Will you let me be your Master?" I should have known I couldn't lie to him anymore, or hide. He saw right through my every move, every objection. I was trapped by his panther-like aura, but I was no prey he wished to devour. He saw me as an equal, a hunter like himself that he had to seek permission before he claimed me. It felt so primal but so... pure. 

"Yes, Master Tetsuro." I exposed my throat, allowing my eyes to flutter closed as I released the last of my restraints. I was weightless, lost in a sea of emotions and confusion while I anxiously waited for Kuroo to pounce. There was a serenity to the chase, hunt, requesting, and teasing, all leading to a moment of stillness. 

"You are mine, Kitten." The serenity snapped and became nothing but Tetsurou Kuroo, Captain of the Black Cats. 

His fingers wrapped around my throat as he growled in my ear, his hot breath against my ear as he continued to whisper his actions as if I wasn't feeling them for myself. He knew it would only make the experience more intense, which I loved. 

"I'm going to choke you until you can't see straight. Make you so wet you soak the bed, right before I slip my fingers in... Fuck, Kitten. The sight and smell of you like this, moaning and panting, body sweating? It's almost like a dream come true-Fuck!" I bit his neck, hard enough to leave a mark but not enough to draw blood. I couldn't help it. He wanted me to be an animal, so I was. I growled in his own ear, my nails clawing at his back. "Naughty Kitten." He hummed, gripping, and releasing my throat teasingly as he pinned both of my arms above my head. 

"I guess I'll have to take care of that, Kitten." He hummed, releasing my throat to grab something from under the bed. He popped back up with a line of rope, his eyes glinting in the ambient light from his bathroom and lamp in the corner of his room. I hissed, unsure of how I felt with being tied up. "Just relax, Kitten. I promise you that you would enjoy this. Have I lied to you?" As I watched him move across my body with the grace of a stalking cat, I shook my head, his muscles rippling in the mix of shadows and light of the room. He sat on my chest, his knees keeping my arms pinned above my head as his hands worked at tying my wrist together. I looked down and realized his cock was close enough for me to lean forward and lick his head, prompting me to smirk. He might be tying me up, but I wasn't about to let go of all my control. I licked his tip, tasting the precum, and watching as he shuddered. He paused in his motions and looked down at me with a curious smirk. 

"Oh? What are you doing there, Kitten?" He hummed. 

"Nothing, Master." I hummed this time, craning my neck as I took a small portion of him in my mouth without breaking eye contact. He groaned, his eyes fluttering shut as his cock twitched in my mouth. His fingers tied the last knot around my wrist before one hand went to cradle the back of my head. 

"Well, well, this is a surprise. Not what I planned you to suck my cock, but-" Tetsurou gritted his teeth as I toyed with his cock with the tip of my tongue. He leaned forward until he could support himself on one arm, the other pressing his cock deeper into my mouth as he pushed my head. "Fuck, Kitten. You are going to make me earn every inch of you. I love it, it's so fucking hot when you fight back. You aren't the kind of woman to just let a man walk all over you; you make him earn his place in your bed by your side. You make me want to beg-" His eyes fluttered as I started moving faster at his words. His cock was beginning to bruise the back of my throat while my eyes watered from the effort, but I didn't slow down. I could feel his cock twitching, begging for release. "Kitten, I-" 

I let go, forcing him to groan loudly in outrage at the denial of his orgasm. His fingers clenched painfully in my hair as he arched my head back. His body was shaking, and I could see how hard he was resisting slamming his dick into the back of my throat to finish. I grinned, knowing full well that it was a dangerous game I was playing. I may have lost the first round, but I wasn't going to lose this one. 

"You... Kitten, you are a dangerous woman who likes to play with fire. Fine then, but don't blame me if you get burned." He sat up slightly, gripping both sides of my head and putting half his cock back in my mouth. I grinned around him, daring him to break me. "With that look, you make it hard to feel bad for what I'm about to do to you, Kitten." I swallowed his cock, choking slightly, and had tears rushing to my eyes. "Fuck, Kitten-" He started moving against my mouth, his hands guiding my head as he used my mouth to fuck himself. I repeatedly choked before I felt his cock twitch, and his movements become erratic. Then a wave of burning salt hit the back of my throat, and I nearly threw up his cum. I forced myself to swallow, my tongue toying with him to help ride out his orgasm as he had for me. His head was thrown back as he hovered over my head, his legs shaking with the effort to keep himself from crushing me. 

"Kitten... you are special." He hummed, slowly coming down from his high. I let go of his limp cock, surprised that it hadn't shrunk much. Tetsuro shifted until he was once again chest to chest with me to whisper in my ear. "The only problem you have is now I have to find a way to get hard again. Now, tell me, Kitten. Do you want a present?" 

"A what?" I asked, making him chuckle lowly in my ear. 

"A present for being such a good Kitten. Making me cum before I wanted to is usually ground for punishment but that filthy little mouth of yours... if fucked me up in all the right ways. So, I wanna give you a reward." He shifted off the bed, rummaging around a drawer before pulling out three things. A thick blindfold, an industrial black leather collar, and lubricate. I raised my eyebrow at him. 

"What? I told you I have desires of my own. I think you would look cute in this collar, Kitten. Don't you want to at least try it? To feel like I'm choking you while my hands are busy doing other sinful deeds to your body?" I bit my lip, feeling my legs grow wet again with how much just his voice turned me on. "Alright, let's see just how cute you look with that collar on." 

I lifted my chin to give him room to place the collar around my neck. The cold metal sent goosebumps down my spine as he purred in contentment. Once the collar was on, he slid the blindfold over my eyes, I abruptly felt panicked. I knew I shouldn't be scared, but something about losing a sense ignited something primal in my core. My heart raced as my hands flexed in an attempt to figure out what was going on with my sight being robbed from me. 

"You look adorable, Kitten. That collar around your neck-" His fingers trailed along the collar teasingly, making my breath hitch. Everything was so sensitive, and it only made resisting the urge to moan harder with every passing second. "The way you squirm is making it hard to resist-"

"If it's so hard to resist, why are you trying, Master?" I panted, sitting up in an attempt to find him. He pressed me back down into the bed, his hands choking my neck again. 

"Your right. I should resist devouring a beautiful killer like yourself. After all, only the best hunter picks his best mate." I bit my lip in an attempt to keep from moaning as I felt one of his fingers slip between my folds. "Hm, still wet. Good. I would hate to make this uncomfortable for you. Not that I don't want you to walk straight when I'm done, but I don't want to cause you any lasting pain." He slipped a finger inside of me slowly, the digit making lewd wet sounds as it stroked in and out. It wasn't nearly enough, but it curled slowly to tap my G spot that it had been searching for. I yelped my back arching. 

"There you are..." He purred, his finger tapping again and again as his lips continued to spew dirty poison. "You are so beautiful like this, Kitten. Seeing you go from a power killer to a mewling mess from just one of my fingers make it hard to want anything else. The way your pussy get tight around me, that sweet blush in your cheeks..." He slipped another finger inside, this time stroking every one of my inner wall spots and sending my mind into a blank mass of white and pleasure. I blamed his teasing for cumming again so quickly, but those fingers...

"Already, Kitten? I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. I did make you wait. But I suppose I can always try again..." He did just that, barely letting me finish my orgasm before he was already coaxing me towards my second. Before I could even moan his name again, he flipped me over. My face was pressed into the bed from behind, while one of Kuroo's hands continued to pump in and out of me with even sloppier and louder sounds. My fingers clawed into the bed, trying to get a grip on anything in this reality. No man should be this skilled with his fingers, even an Agent. Especially not Kuroo. 

"M-Master I-"

"Sh now's not the time to talk, Kitten. Just lay there like a good Kitten, and let me fuck you until you can't walk for a week." I felt him slide in another finger, and all I could do was bit my lip or the blankets below me. He stroked me slow, fast, hard, teasing until I felt like my body would tear itself apart with the pleasure he was putting me under. Eventually, I felt him grow impatient and was distantly aware of the sound of a condom packet opening. He pressed his chest against my back. His teeth grazed my earlobe before almost snarling in my ear. 

"I'm not going to be gentle, but I know you can take it, Kitten. You can take all of me, but first... beg me to fuck you." I did just that, screaming shamelessly. Kuroo growled in my ear, grabbing my hips and slamming himself inside me. My body arched with the force of his thrust as well as his size. Despite everything he had done, I wasn't entirely prepared for him. I could feel him stretch my walls out further than his fingers had, filling me until all I could think of was him.

"You feel amazing, Kitten. Having you around my cock like this, letting me claim you in such a messy way... fuck, it's better than anyone before. The sounds you make when I push into you-" I cried out as he buried himself inside me, his hands pressing down on my shoulders to drive himself even deeper. "Just like that, Kitten. I want to hear more. I want to listen to you beg and order me to fuck you until you can't move. I want to give you a feeling of euphoria that you have never felt before. I want to hear from you all night, in every position..." All I could hear was his voice after that, my mind flushing with hormones as he brought me closer to my orgasm again. He kept whispering and growling in my ear, grunting softly and moaning my nickname whenever he came. When he couldn't fuck me with his cock, he would use his tongue or fingers. 

He twisted my body like a pretzel that night, my knees pushed almost to my ears, my legs split open with n high in the air over his shoulder, and the other held down by his free hand. My legs would not stop shaking even after he fell to the bed at my side, drenched in sweat and various other fluids. He lay there panting like a dog, but he still was able to look over weakly and smile. 

"Did I satisfy you, Kitten?" He hummed softly, running his knuckled down my tear-soaked cheek. Why was I crying? My mouth was too dry to speak, so I simply nodded, my eyes fluttering with exhaustion. He hummed even more softly before groaning his way off the bed. My eyes closed, and I fell asleep for what felt like a second before Kuroo was shaking my shoulder. I blinked, my vision clearing enough to see him hold a large glass of water with a pair of boxers to hide his modesty. 

"Drink up, Kitten. Slowly so you don't choke now. Come on, sit up..." He urged in a soft whisper, cradling y head as he lifted me into a sitting position. Compared to the bruising grip he had on my body not minutes before, this soft-touch felt like he had transformed into a completely new person. My body shuddered, a fresh wave of tears dripping from my eyes as I sipped the water. 

"Shit-" I sobbed, wiping my eyes in an attempt to hide them. The emotions that rushed over me felt overwhelming, and I couldn't stop myself. I glared at Kuroo, expecting him to tease me, but he looked genuinely concerned. He lifted my chin gently before cradling my cheek in his palm. 

"You are ok, Kitten. You don't have to hide anything from me. I told you, I want to take all your burdens just for a little while. From the messy, ugly ones to the blissful pleasures we just had. You are strong, Kitten, but you don't always have to be." I wanted to yell at him, but all that came out was a sob. I buried my face in his chest as he held me gently, pulling a warm blanket around my shoulders while I shuddered with my memories and emotions. All the walls I had built up came crashing down, and I was overwhelmed. The fires, fear, pain, dehydration, betrayal, and every drop of self-loathing crashed into my core. I screamed and cried into Kuroo's chest, expecting him to yell or walk away to let me finish my fit, but he just held me and whispered softly. 

"I know you don't want to, but you need to feel it, Kitten. It's a part of why I let you join me tonight. No one is going to hurt you here, you are safe. You don't have to feel guilty about being human with me." He ran his fingers through my tangled hair, tucking me into the blanket when I stopped thrashing in the heat of my fit. I screamed curses at the Director for tearing me away from Daichi and my best friends that were more than family to me. For stealing Oikawa away because he wanted to play a stupid political game. I screamed about Oikawa, how he was a selfish jerk. I cried at Watashi, the man who promised me a family of my own and betrayed me at the first sign of doubt. I screamed about how I hated killing and torturing people and how it made me feel dead inside. Though all of this, Kuroo just rocked me gently, holding me bridle style with his forehead against my own until my screams turned into hiccuping sobs.

"Kitten... let's get you cleaned up." Kuroo soothed, scooting to the end of the bed and carrying me into the bathroom. I felt so drained I nearly passed out on the way into the bathroom. He placed me in the empty bathtub before gently unwrapping me like a baby. 

"You don't have to do this. I can wash-" I hiccuped, but Kuroo just silenced me with a teasing smile and a kiss to my forehead. 

"Did I fuck you too hard and give you brain damage? I told you, I'm taking care of you tonight. Just lay back and relax." he teased softly, "You also can't move, let alone stand. I need to loosen up your muscles so you can move later today." He started the water, running his hand under it to adjust the temperature before rummaging around under his kitchen sink. I settled down into the tub, crossing my legs and arms to hide what little modesty I had left. It was hard to imagine I could feel modest after what he had just done, but I still felt shy. He pulled out five different bath bombs, three types of healing Epson salts, and massage oil. He turned to me with them in his arms, grinning like a Cheshire cat. 

"Which ones do you want, Kitten?" I couldn't help but laugh. 

"What are you, a teenage girl?" I teased, relaxing as the hot water started seeping into my muscles. He huffed, sticking his tongue out at me and puffing out his chest. 

"For your information, I might enjoy a lushes night of pampering myself. You womenfolk can't claim all the good things in life." I laughed, reaching out and picking my favorite bath bomb. He frowned. "That's my favorite. Well, guess I'll just have to join you." 

"What? How? The tub is too small-" He dropped all the things she had been holding in his arms before ripping off his boxers, lifting me out of the tub and moving to sit behind me. I tried to object, but the second he started rubbing my lower back, all objections disappeared from my mind. I could almost hear his grin as he rested his chin on my shoulder. 

"What was that about it being too small?" I heard him snicker before placing a kiss on my shoulder. "How are you feeling, Kitten." He asked quietly, all teasing and joking disappearing from his tone. 

"I feel... tired," I tell him honestly. Between the workout that we had just gone through and the water relaxing my muscles, I could feel myself starting to drift. He shifted behind me and grabbed a carton of cigarettes and lighter I hadn't noticed before. H lit one, handing it to me and then lighting my own. He then went back to rubbing my body, paying particular attention to my lower back and shoulders. I could feel all the bruises he had left with every touch, but he was careful not to press on them too hard.

We sat in silence for a long while. The ambient light of the candle in Kuroo's bathroom set a mood I could describe. The smell of smoke and sex lingered in the air, contending with the sweet gentleness of the bath bomb. I smirked, thinking of how similar the metaphor could apply to Kuroo. The cigarette an illusion of his position as a captain, the sex his persona and aura to his effectiveness in command; Yet under it all? The sweetness that you could miss if you hadn't known it was there but inescapable once you sensed it. I opened my eyes, holding out my glowing cigarette over the ashtray and watched the used ash fall like a snowflake onto the ceramic plate. Kuroo hummed against my shoulder, his hands growing still on my body. For that blissful second, I realized what the indescribable mood was. 

I was at peace in the arms of a lover who I could never stay with. 

"We should probably take a shower," I mumbled, feeling Kuroo stir against my shoulder. He wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in the crook of my neck. 

"Just a little while longer, Kitten...please." He whispered, his voice husky with sleep. I tilted my head back, forcing myself to keep the tears locked away. Why? Why was he doing this to me after everything I screamed about? How could he possibly think that I was able to keep my emotions tucked away after spilling them out? 

But maybe he knew. He knew exactly what he was doing as the Scheming Captain. Kuroo wasn't forcing me to feel or do anything I didn't want to but guiding me into a place I needed to go. Without me realizing it myself, he brought me to a place where I could feel safe and loved. He protected me from myself and let me be taken over by all my demons and didn't judge. 

How did he expect me not to fell in love with him?

"Echo." Kuroo's voice cut through my inner turmoil like a knife. I blinked, looking forward because I was unable to look at him. "I know I said that this would just be a one night stand. That there would be no strings attached, but I think we both know that it can't happen." I shifted, turning around to kneel between his legs. It hurt to move, but I welcomed the ache. I stared into his eyes, which were glued to the water in shame. 

"Then, why? Why would you do this to me?" I wasn't angry. How could I be angry at someone I fell for? He lifted his head to meet my eyes with his. They were deeper gold than I had ever seen before, and I felt lost in them; his lips curled around his cigarette. 

"Do you want me to tell you the truth?"

"I thought you said you didn't lie?" I whispered back, taking the cigarette from his lips, and placing it on the ashtray. He smiled sadly, his palm cradling my cheek. 

"That was my biggest lie." He took a shaky breath before kissing me softly. "I'll tell you the truth. I did this because I saw you needed someone you could take all that pain out on. I thought I could keep my emotions in check, but you..." He stiffened, gritting his teeth as he held my face in both hands. He kissed me harder as if trying to say what he meant through his actions. When I pulled away, he sighed. 

"You are the first girl who stole my heart, Echo. The great Scheming Captain couldn't scheme his way out of your heart with his own. I just want you to know that I won't be like your past loves. I won't ask you to stay or abandon you. If you want to stay, stay. If not... it won't change how I feel." He smiled, tears bringing in his lashes before he laughed tightly. "Just promise me... please never hate me. I don't think I could take it if you hated me like the others."

"I could never, Tetsorou Kuroo, because you are not anything like anyone else," I said, straddling his hips and cradling his face between my hands. He pulled me closer, our tears mixing with the bathwater. Kuroo carried me to the bed, still dripping as he placed me on the bed. We made out, both too tired to make love at that moment. He curled himself around me as my last image before fading into blackness was the sharp features of his cheekbones and long, dark lashes accentuated by the shadows cast by the candle in the bathroom. 

__

"Captain! You need to see this!" Yamamoto yelled, banging on the door to wake me up from the darkness of a dreamless night. Kuroo groaned, his handsome features twisting into a sneer as he jumped up from the bed. 

"I'm gonna kill him..." He kissed my forehead when he noticed I was awake. "I'll get you something to wear." He promised, pulling up his boxers and pants with a great deal of effort. Without windows to tell what time of day it was and the candle almost burnt out, it made it hard to see, but his silhouette was amusing to watch. I winced when I saw the bloody scratches on his back as if an angry cat had spent the night using him a scratching post. I probably looked just as bad but covered in bruises. 

"I'll help." I joked, groaning as I got out of bed. If I hadn't been used to being sore every day, I would not have even attempted to get out of bed. I grabbed one of his shirts and slipped it on, frowning when it looked more like a dress that went past my knees. Kuroo snickered before holding out my underwear. I put it on and followed him out, pulling to keep my shoulder covered but gave up after another minute. Tsuki and Tadashi also were woken up by Yamamoto's banging. Tadashi rubbing his eyes and clutching his pillow while Tsuki squinted angrily without his glasses. 

"What the fuck-" He put on his glasses and glanced at Kuroo and me. He blinked before Kuroo grinned, and I smiled and nodded. "Nope. Not dealing with it today." He slammed the door, and I could hear muttering on the other side of the door. Kuroo growled, banging on the door to get the two trainees from the room. I continued ahead to the common room where I found the rest of the squad dressed and ready for a mission. I instantly straightened and pushed forward and grabbed the back of Kenma's chair. 

"What's going on?" My eyes scanned the dozen of files lashing across the screen while Kenma's fingers flew across the keyboard. I didn't care about the stares the other squad members were giving me as Kurro joined me on the other side of Kenma. 

"Oi, pudding head, what's all this?"

"Inuoka just got to India, and he already was able to break into the facility. He sent me all the files just a minute ago and..." He glanced between Kuroo and me nervously before typing in a quick command before the flashing files stopped, and six records popped up. My heart stopped. Daichi, Sugawara, Asahi, they were alive. They were prisoners, but they were alive. 

"Where are they?" I barked, almost throwing myself at the hacker. Kenma flinched before looking down at the screen. 

"They are being held by the leading supplier and druglord chemist of SSC. They are in a compound not far from Hong Kong and-"

"We have to get them out now. Kuroo, get everyone packed-"

"Echo, look who is protecting them. There is no just breaking in and rescuing them." Kuroo cursed and jerked his thumb at the screen. " We have the Network guarding him and a traitor." I blinked, returning to the screen before seeing two familiar faces under the names of the Network agents. 

"No... he would never..."

Wataktoshi Ushijima; Head of Security for the Shinsuke Kita Compound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I tried to make Kuroo as close to canon but I also couldn't resist making him a kinky freak(Ok, slightly kinky). I love all of Nekoma so I couldn't help but add them all in. Tsuki's and Tadashi's characters are the hardest for me to write so I hope I did them justice. Kenma is just an innocent gamer angel. I try to keep them as close to their original character as possible but sometimes its hard to get in their head. Anyway, please comment if you enjoy or you didn't like something. I'll try to respond to all comments when I can.


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